Faith healing, True or false?

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by sara[h]ng

So.. what exactly IS this placebo effect?

A placebo, is an inactive substance (pill, liquid, etc.), which is administered as if it were a therapy, but which has no therapeutic value other than the placebo effect. The placebo effect is the phenomenon that a patient's symptoms can be alleviated by an otherwise ineffective treatment, since the individual expects or believes that it will work. Some people consider this to be a remarkable aspect of human physiology; others consider it to be an illusion arising from the way medical experiments were conducted.



(Wikipedia)



s.

[sara[h]ng]

Originally Posted by Snoopy

A placebo, is an inactive substance (pill, liquid, etc.), which is administered as if it were a therapy, but which has no therapeutic value other than the placebo effect. The placebo effect is the phenomenon that a patient's symptoms can be alleviated by an otherwise ineffective treatment, since the individual expects or believes that it will work. Some people consider this to be a remarkable aspect of human physiology; others consider it to be an illusion arising from the way medical experiments were conducted.



(Wikipedia)



s.

Actually, that's not quite what I meant. I was not looking for a definition, but some thought as to what is the mechanism of placebo. What physical parts of the body respond to our thoughts and feelings? Why and how? There's quite a few questions that could spring off of that and I don't think that there are currently any answers but it's very interesting to think about - though maybe I just think so because I am a biology/pre-med/alternative health/whatever student.

[arthra]

Don't you think the placebo effect would also be a factor in modern medicine? through the confidence people have that the procedure will be effective and so on.... So advertisements and drug sales and promotions...trinkets that are circulated spread a kind of placebo effect.

- Art

[Popeyesays]

I think all healing comes from God whether it be through laying on of hands, prayer, meditation, fasting or the treatments prescribed by a physician. The physician's knowledge, the knowledge which created the healing technology are all knowledge from God.

Regards,
Scott

[sara[h]ng]

Originally Posted by arthra

Don't you think the placebo effect would also be a factor in modern medicine? through the confidence people have that the procedure will be effective and so on.... So advertisements and drug sales and promotions...trinkets that are circulated spread a kind of placebo effect.

- Art

I've thought of lots of reasons as to why drug companies should have TV commercials for drugs - sometimes when they don't even tell you what they're for - but I've never thought that it could be to enhance the placebo effect! Interesting!

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by sara[h]ng

Actually, that's not quite what I meant. I was not looking for a definition, but some thought as to what is the mechanism of placebo. What physical parts of the body respond to our thoughts and feelings? Why and how? There's quite a few questions that could spring off of that and I don't think that there are currently any answers but it's very interesting to think about - though maybe I just think so because I am a biology/pre-med/alternative health/whatever student.

oh OK! The question you ask about physicality and thoughts is the $64000 question of course that has exercised minds for many years.

s.

[wil]

Placebo, nocebo....either way our thoughts/intentions/focus/prayers are powerful enough to affect any part of our body. Whether it be an indivdual cell, a group of them, a body system, whatever...

faith of a mustard seed and all that.

The issue often is what we counter with, self doubt, other negative thought, etc.