Friday, September 02, 2005

Faith and Placebo Effect - More News

It seems that the hypothesis of the link between the placebo effect and faith in God is gaining some ground. The New Scientist this week reports that those who meditate whilst concentrating on the idea that God is loving, can keep their hands in painfully cold water for nearly twice as long as those who meditate with thoughts such as "I am joyful". The placebo effect is proposed as a possible cause, though there is no mention as to what the placebo effect could entail, despite last week's partial revelation in the same magazine that the placebo effect is a result of an opioid hit. (See Placebo Effect Envy below).

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