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Post by technohawk on Dec 3, 2006 0:35:58 GMT -8
Do you believe that the placebo effect exists? To what degree does it(or doesnt it) have an effect? And what explanation is there for it's existance(or non existance)?
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Post by LostPeon™ on Dec 3, 2006 0:56:35 GMT -8
Yes. Only somewhat, for mild medications. The mind is a powerful tool.
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Post by stellartrip on Dec 4, 2006 4:13:05 GMT -8
Yes, through for only certain medications. The confidence built up in your mind that you are getting better Is really half way to getting better. I feel that psychological wellness helps a great deal.
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dxlightning
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Post by dxlightning on Dec 4, 2006 12:41:55 GMT -8
Yes, especially for health medication, such as weight reduction or pain relief. If you feel like you're going to feel better, your mind can trick yourself into having less pain.
Likewise, if you partake in an experiment for weight reduction, you might start feeling better about yourself after taking the medication and then start eating better, exercising, etc. By giving placebos they don't know which they're getting, medication or not, so they should all react similarly.
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Post by technohawk on Dec 4, 2006 17:17:40 GMT -8
Everyone so far agrees that it has a mild effect.
So a folow-up question:
Why does it only have a mild effect? And would(could) it be possible that a person could completely heal themselves using only their thoughts ?
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PhoenixFlare500
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Post by PhoenixFlare500 on Dec 4, 2006 17:35:26 GMT -8
What do you mean by completely by their thoughts? I'm assuming you're still taking into account the immune system and various bodily functions that participate in healing. I guess if you could purposefully slow down your body (like go to a rest/sleep state on command), then your body would have more energy available to provide to the immune system.
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dxlightning
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Post by dxlightning on Dec 4, 2006 17:54:14 GMT -8
I think he means can an emotion be unconsciously hidden. For example, if you've convinced yourself that a drug is going to make your pain go away, a subconscious impulse will go off in your mind and it will assume that the pain has gone away, masking the pain from your conscious mind.
If I have a headache and take a placebo that someone tells me is aspirin, I'll assume I've taken aspirin and my subconscious mind will make me think the pain is going away.
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PhoenixFlare500
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Post by PhoenixFlare500 on Dec 4, 2006 17:56:37 GMT -8
Well that depends on whether or not your endorphines can be triggered through your thoughts or not I guess.
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Post by technohawk on Dec 4, 2006 19:43:11 GMT -8
I guess what I was getting at was that If the mind can believe a sugar pill is a cure for something(headache etc) on the small scale can it be reproduced Without the placebo.
ie someone has a cold and acts/pretends/thinks like they don't have a cold. Would that or could those thoughts trigger the body to cure the cold just as rapidly as if the person took medication?
AND Could such acts work on larger issues/diseases such as cancer and cure them? And if not, could it happen in the future if our brains evolve?
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Post by dpgunit on Dec 4, 2006 21:03:26 GMT -8
well, since you'd stop stressing about it all the time you'd have more energy for your body systems, i suppose.
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Post by greeny on Dec 10, 2006 13:26:46 GMT -8
when you take like.. a placebo painkiller or weight-loss thing... even a cold reducer... you get relieved, some stress leaves because you think you'll be okay. the body then releases hormones like endorphins or whatnot, make you feel better... yeah.
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Post by softspoken on Feb 8, 2007 21:06:55 GMT -8
no shiiiit.
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Post by ga on Feb 9, 2007 11:20:06 GMT -8
i find placebo to be a nice paradox in of itself. if your mind is weak enough that you can be fooled into believing that a medication is taking effect on you, it is pitiful. Then again, if your mind is powerful to apply it's own medication, you should be applauded.
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Post by alotofzerg on Dec 13, 2007 9:03:41 GMT -8
one thing that is being tried for cancer patients is the patient is asked every morning when they wake to imagine something like a medieval battle field. On one side the cancer in its droves and waves on the other the white nights of your ammune system. a battle insues and of course the white nights win. I think placebo is a play of the mind. if your told it will work then to an extent it will however genuine alments can only be defeated by actule medicine and or your own bodily defence, of course this includes your mind.
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ferrousmoon
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Post by ferrousmoon on Dec 16, 2007 8:07:50 GMT -8
I prefer Thai-bo
It definately exists. The mind is one of the areas where we have yet to discover quite a bit. 85% of the brains weight we have no idea about much of what it does. The grey matter may well do alot more than we think.
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