Penny Sarchet doesn't think of herself as a detective, but she's been acting like one. She recently received a prize for her science essay on the nocebo effect, one of the winning entries in a writing contest sponsored by the Wellcome Trust in association with the Guardian and The Observer, who have been on the lookout throughout the UK for the next generation of outstanding science writers.
Like any good detective, Sarchet carefully examined the evidence, the scientific research, on nocebos (harmful effects linked to a harmless substance -- the opposite of placebo effect). This led her to some compelling observations about the link between a negative mental state and physical suffering.
She saw that in a doctor-patient relationship the patient's belief makes a world of difference as to that person's health. What a doctor says and what the patient believes may be more closely tied to the patient's outcome than what the doctor does physically.
If a doctor's warnings about possible negative side effects increases the likelihood of the patient experiencing pain or suffering, as research consistently suggests will happen, the leading culprit is the patient's mental state. Fear or a deep pessimism that they won't get better can be the underlying enemy to health. Sachet concludes: "As scientists begin to determine how the nocebo works, we would do well to use their findings to manage that most 21st century of all diseases -- anxiety."
The flip-side of the belief coin is the health benefit linked to a positive mental state -- the placebo effect.
According to a landmark review published earlier this year, positive expectations are associated with better health. Science Daily reported that the reviewers of more than 160 studies on the mind-body connection were shocked by the consistency they saw in the data. Over and over the evidence showed that a person's positive beliefs are a strong influence for good on their health.
Exploration of a mind-body connection has a rich history, even crossing into other disciplines. I recently reviewed the research and medical experiments conducted in the last half of the 19th century by Mary Baker Eddy, founder of the Christian Science Church. Her conclusions parallel what today's researchers discover as they connect the dots of a placebo and nocebo effect. She noted: "The physical side of this research was aided by hints from homeopathy, sustaining my final conclusion that mortal belief, instead of the drug, governed the action of material medicine." She wrote in greater depth about her research and the connection she saw of a patient's belief to his or her health in her book Science and Health.
What's the bigger picture here? The sleuth instinct in us may sense a need to revise our fundamental assumptions about health and rethink our health practices.
If the root driver of the body's health (good or bad) lies in what's occupying our mind, we should be much more alert to what's tugging at us for attention.
Most people don't question how often they hear, read, ruminate on and talk about unhealthiness. They take for granted that the risks, symptoms, aches and pains they hear about and are familiar with are involuntary. Since they don't question such thinking they don't realize the good effect that comes from reversing it. And that they can.
Why not seriously explore what adds to hope? Find out what builds confidence. What thoughts and conversation about health counteracts fear rather than adding to it? Learn how an increase in spirituality -- compassion, prayer, forgiveness and the like -- grounds us in positive expectations and purges negative ones, which could have a positive impact on our health.
Sooner or later we'll see for ourselves what Penny Sarchet and countless others have uncovered -- that what we take in, what we believe, has a correlation to our health. The days of thinking that the body operates independent of our beliefs about it are fading away.
Follow Russ Gerber on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@russgerber
Deepak Chopra: 'I Will Not Be Pleased' -- Your Health and the Nocebo Effect
Nocebo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The nocebo effect: Wellcome Trust science writing prize essay ...
The Nocebo Effect: The Flip Side of Medicine's Placebos - TIME
On the contrary knowing their is no god and I don't have to follow silly stone age rules frees my mind and makes me feel true and real.
Such a wonderful bit of wisdom knowing where to focus my energies.
If you are religious and haven't researched the truths of religion then by all means pray if it makes you feel better. In this case what you don't know can't hurt you.
In my opinion the power and the focus of the eternal spirit is greater than the power and focus of the finite psyche, I think you are settling for the lesser and least dependable, but your choice.
Lastly, in my opinion this is also a misconception on your part: “I don't have to follow silly stone Age rules”, because as a Child of God, I don’t either.
Take care
Whenever I have another heart attack, I don't expect to die. We all have to die one day. So will I. Just not today. Poo-poo it all you want, but a positive attitude really can make a difference. It isn't about being unrealistic. It isn't about lying to yourself. It's just a matter of deciding, I'm not going to die today. Sure, you can't "think yourself" into immortality. One day, it won't work. But that day won't be today.
It's worked for me for seven years. No reason not to stick with it.
...then does it follow that such "faith" in their evil nature will cause them to die young and burn in the hellfires of eternity forever...?
If so, that means that we should consider such indoctrination of children as mental and emotional abuse, to protect the innocent children from such proscribed and allegedly pre-determined fires of inequity.
Or, simply tell the children to not believe in such mythological nonsense and their lives and after life will be better for it.... ;)
Your cynicism and bitterness, my friend, is going to be much more damaging to children - and to yourself, ultimately - than is faith in Father God. It is like a cancer, eating away at your spiritual health. If you just re-read what you wrote with open eyes, you may recognize the anger that resides within you.
No.
If you haven't already, you should read her book for sure, particularly since it is about healing. The main difference she expresses from your post is that healing isn't successful when you BELIEVE you can (although that is the basis of most "faith" healing), but when you UNDERSTAND. Her statement is that the order of progression is faith, belief, and finally understanding, which is the only way to heal yourself and others. Her book is more complex than a first reading would suggest; but I believe you might truly have the ability to understand it.
The rest you pretty much have correct...
I believe that is why the Bible (Old and New T) teach and instruct us to Fear not, worry not, and be anxious for nothing....
In addition, why in almost all healings, Jesus said, YOUR faith has made you well or according to YOUR faith, be it unto you... and on the other hand chastised and scolded for lack of it….
My opinion is the teaching of the Bible works for anyone who applies them in faith, but as for eternal life (in Heaven rather that He**) that takes faith in Jesus Himself. Take care!
Not to frighten or convert you, but because I care – Eternity is a very long time to spend and suffer in a place where faith will not work or help
I can't attribute all of this to the aches and pains of aging, because I've also known elderly people with vast pain who somehow still managed to pull together a smile and who shared love and positivity, with great delibrateness, at every instance.
I really can't buy that your attitude determines how long you live. In the Bible, God says that He knows the number of our days. How long we live is up to Him, not to us. (Although a positive attitude HUGELY affects our QUALITY of life!)
Since then I've noticed so many of my friends constantly fussing over their bodies, whether it's the latest food fad or some hyped-up supplement.
I've accepted that some mornings I'll have sore joints and a headache doesn't mean brain cancer. My attention is focused on what new skill I'm going to learn. This year was advanced digital
graphics and a fabulous music score program. I set up three websites and learned enough Baroque music to fill an hour and half of You Tube posts. A new skill is like a mega vitamin for the mind .... and body,
I won't join any clubs labeled "senior" and I toss the ads from my bank into the trash without opening them. I told the manager if he wanted to send me "Prime Time" offers they'd better be an offer for a good mortgage or CD rate.
Damn it, I'm going to die at my piano or wielding my mouse over a graphic program. Not listening to nonsense hyped up to make me feel sick and spend on useless remedies. Hey big business .... catch me if you can .....
I have no intention of "battling" a disease which has a high probability of being terminal because in this country I know my suffering will be extended with false promises by over-eager health providers. . In India I would have access to opium or hashish and could take my exit relatively comfortably if I chose to bypass their modern medical practices. Here I'd be intubated and wired up and wrapped in diapers while all efforts to keep the shell still breathing would be employed. I'm a Hindu ... my body is a vehicle. That's it. When it wears out, I leave it, And depending upon what lessons I've learned or not learned, I'll eventually take another one. I have the ordinary human fear of dearh ,... but I'm more afraid of the American medical system than anything else. That terrifies me.
And if you were referring to my death at the piano or computer keyboard .... I'd be dying doing something I loved. Good way to go, in my books. A lot better than those tubes and diapers.
I've seen people whose attitudes were negative and may well have FELT worse than they needed to. Maybe even got worse than they had to.
But overall, yes. I agree. Even though I don't know exactly how attitude works, I believe it does.
Hey, maybe the only proof I need is how a mommy's kiss makes even an ouchee boo-boo feel all better.
Yes, everyone can concoct a story about the guy who had stage 4 cancer then went to church where Nuns put their hands on him and he was cured.
With this logic, we need no medicine or Doctors.