Placebo effect - Revision history

Fractalguy: /* Believe in the Power of Placebo */

2026-03-13T17:31:00Z

Believe in the Power of Placebo

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:31, 13 March 2026
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	It's certainly worth a shot. You can always go to the doctor if it doesn't work. It can't be emphasized enough that this is not a [[wikipedia:Panacea_(medicine)\|panacea]] or a [[contrarian]] rejection of modern [[medicine]], as many overzealous placebo advocates tend to claim.		It's certainly worth a shot. You can always go to the doctor if it doesn't work. It can't be emphasized enough that this is not a [[wikipedia:Panacea_(medicine)\|panacea]] or a [[contrarian]] rejection of modern [[medicine]], as many overzealous placebo advocates tend to claim.

			[[wikipedia:Nir_Eyal\|Nir Eyal's]] [[book]] [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/242764852-beyond-belief Beyond Belief: The Science-Backed Way to Stop Limiting Yourself and Achieve Breakthrough Results] is one of the best works yet on the relationship between our [[beliefs]] and our [[health]] and [[well-being]].

	{{#ev:youtube\|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsAMKnp4E98\|\|center\|The Pill That Works Even When You Know It's Fake\|frame}}		{{#ev:youtube\|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsAMKnp4E98\|\|center\|The Pill That Works Even When You Know It's Fake\|frame}}

Fractalguy at 17:27, 13 March 2026

2026-03-13T17:27:24Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:27, 13 March 2026
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	It's certainly worth a shot. You can always go to the doctor if it doesn't work. It can't be emphasized enough that this is not a [[wikipedia:Panacea_(medicine)\|panacea]] or a [[contrarian]] rejection of modern [[medicine]], as many overzealous placebo advocates tend to claim.		It's certainly worth a shot. You can always go to the doctor if it doesn't work. It can't be emphasized enough that this is not a [[wikipedia:Panacea_(medicine)\|panacea]] or a [[contrarian]] rejection of modern [[medicine]], as many overzealous placebo advocates tend to claim.

			{{#ev:youtube\|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsAMKnp4E98\|\|center\|The Pill That Works Even When You Know It's Fake\|frame}}

	== The Epidemic of Over Diagnosis ==		== The Epidemic of Over Diagnosis ==

Fractalguy at 21:57, 5 March 2025

2025-03-05T21:57:58Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:57, 5 March 2025
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	It's certainly worth a shot. You can always go to the doctor if it doesn't work. It can't be emphasized enough that this is not a [[wikipedia:Panacea_(medicine)\|panacea]] or a [[contrarian]] rejection of modern [[medicine]], as many overzealous placebo advocates tend to claim.		It's certainly worth a shot. You can always go to the doctor if it doesn't work. It can't be emphasized enough that this is not a [[wikipedia:Panacea_(medicine)\|panacea]] or a [[contrarian]] rejection of modern [[medicine]], as many overzealous placebo advocates tend to claim.

			== The Epidemic of Over Diagnosis ==

			There is also ample evidence of an epidemic of over diagnosis. In a [[culture]] where psychosomatic symptoms are treated the same as the diseases they emulate, questioning self-diagnosis is [[taboo]], and an infinite catalog of possible maladies is only a click away, it is easier than ever to subconsciously take on the characteristic symptoms of a disease.

			There is also the problem of the self-fulfilling prophecy of a diagnoses, especially [[psychological]] ones. Mild symptoms can often strengthen, and new symptoms can appear just because they are part of the syndrome.

			{{#ev:youtube\|https://youtu.be/xmSGHj3VaO8?t=9\|\|center\|Suzanne O'Sullivan (on over diagnosis)\|frame}}

	== Religion is Ritualized Placebo ==		== Religion is Ritualized Placebo ==

Fractalguy: /* Believe in the Power of Placebo */

2025-01-08T14:10:13Z

Believe in the Power of Placebo

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:10, 8 January 2025
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	[[The Placebo Store\|Let's find out]]!		[[The Placebo Store\|Let's find out]]!

	It's certainly worth a shot. You can always go to the doctor if it doesn't work.		It's certainly worth a shot. You can always go to the doctor if it doesn't work. It can't be emphasized enough that this is not a [[wikipedia:Panacea_(medicine)\|panacea]] or a [[contrarian]] rejection of modern [[medicine]], as many overzealous placebo advocates tend to claim.

	== Religion is Ritualized Placebo ==		== Religion is Ritualized Placebo ==

Fractalguy at 14:05, 8 January 2025

2025-01-08T14:05:49Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:05, 8 January 2025
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	[[File:Placebo-effect-fake-pills-real-brains.jpg\|thumb\|Avoid unnecessary brain removal with sugar pills!]]		[[File:Placebo-effect-fake-pills-real-brains.jpg\|thumb\|Avoid unnecessary brain removal with sugar pills!]]
	The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placebo_Effect Placebo Effect] is at the core of any mental manipulation that causes physiological changes in the body.		The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placebo_Effect Placebo Effect] is at the core of any mental manipulation that causes physiological changes in the body. <blockquote>''"Can placebos cause side effects? If so, are the side effects real?"'' -[[wikipedia:George_Carlin\|George Carlin]] </blockquote>

	== Honest Placebos ==		== Honest Placebos ==

Fractalguy: /* Honest Placebos */

2024-12-04T17:51:41Z

Honest Placebos

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:51, 4 December 2024
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	== Honest Placebos ==		== Honest Placebos ==

	"Honest" or "~~open~~-label" placebos, where the person taking it knows that they are taking an inactive substance, have been shown to work with nearly the same efficacy as when the patient believes it is medicine. This is due to the subconscious predictive mechanisms in our [[brain]] that react to the stimulus of taking a pill regardless of your [[conscious]] awareness of what it is. [https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/placebo-can-work-even-know-placebo-201607079926] [https://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/03/placebos]		"Honest", "open-label" or "white-label" placebos, where the person taking it knows that they are taking an inactive substance, have been shown to work with nearly the same efficacy as when the patient believes it is medicine. This is due to the subconscious predictive mechanisms in our [[brain]] that react to the stimulus of taking a pill regardless of your [[conscious]] awareness of what it is. [https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/placebo-can-work-even-know-placebo-201607079926] [https://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/03/placebos]

	[[metaculture]] sees the utility in harnessing this power to cure a range of ailments that have no known medical cause, stress or anxiety related ailments, pain management, insomnia, and nausea. [https://www.health.harvard.edu/mental-health/the-power-of-the-placebo-effect] They can be sold at a much lower cost than dietary supplements and have a lower chance of adverse reactions. They can provide an honest alternative to the plethora of [[grifters]] selling expensive snake oil that relies on the same placebo effect. [https://businessreview.berkeley.edu/the-vitamin-industry-supplement-or-placebo/]		[[metaculture]] sees the utility in harnessing this power to cure a range of ailments that have no known medical cause, stress or anxiety related ailments, pain management, insomnia, and nausea. [https://www.health.harvard.edu/mental-health/the-power-of-the-placebo-effect] They can be sold at a much lower cost than dietary supplements and have a lower chance of adverse reactions. They can provide an honest alternative to the plethora of [[grifters]] selling expensive snake oil that relies on the same placebo effect. [https://businessreview.berkeley.edu/the-vitamin-industry-supplement-or-placebo/]

Fractalguy at 13:49, 4 December 2024

2024-12-04T13:49:56Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:49, 4 December 2024
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	It's certainly worth a shot. You can always go to the doctor if it doesn't work.		It's certainly worth a shot. You can always go to the doctor if it doesn't work.

	== Placebo ~~Rituals~~ ==		== Religion is Ritualized Placebo ==

	In [[religion]] and [[spirituality]], [[rituals]] are used to bring about the placebo effect intentionally, providing healing, [[happiness]] and other benefits to the practitioner.		=== More Than Just Healing ===
			In [[religion]] and [[spirituality]], [[rituals]] are used to bring about the placebo effect intentionally, providing healing, [[happiness]] and other benefits to the practitioner. If you use an expanded definition of the placebo effect, you can make the case that most [[religious]] [[belief]] and practice revolves around intentionally eliciting the placebo effect.

	~~In order~~ to ~~take advantage of~~ [[~~rituals~~]] ~~and reap their~~ [[~~psychological~~]] ~~rewards~~, ~~it is not necessary to believe in any~~ [[~~supernatural~~]] ~~premise on which they may be based~~. ~~It is enough~~ to ~~believe~~ in the ~~placebo effect itself~~.		While placebos are traditionally associated with medicine and healing, they can be used to change any [[emotional]] reaction, [[habit]], or state of [[mind]]. Confession rituals alleviate guilt. Coming of age [[rituals]] like bar mitzvas establish new adult mindsets and help children transition to independence. Rain dances keep you from worrying about your crops. [[Belief]] in the omnibenevolent [[God Concept\|god concept]] creates [[optimism]].

	Finding greater ways to enhance the placebo effect through [[ritual]] has enormous health improvement potential that would cost nothing. Unfortunately this perverse [[incentive]] makes their development unlikely under [[capitalist]] [[healthcare]].		=== White Label Religion ===
			In order to take advantage of [[rituals]] and reap their [[psychological]] rewards, it is not necessary to believe in any [[supernatural]] premise on which they may be based. It is enough to [[believe]] in the placebo effect itself. This is equivalent to "honest placebos" where we understand the effect we are trying to elicit and the reason for its efficacy.

			A [[Belief System\|belief system]] based on [[science]] and [[evidence]] with a well-developed [[ritual]] practice will be even more effective at manipulating the placebo effect for our personal and collective [[emotional]] benefit, because it can now be done with intentionality. It frees us to experiment, to try out new and creative ways of manipulating the [[mind]] to do the things that make us healthy and [[happy]]. It gives us the ability to compare the efficacy of these techniques, and provide [[evidence-based best practices]] to describe the ones that are proven to work.

			=== Not Very Capitalist ===
			Finding greater ways to enhance the placebo effect through [[ritual]] has enormous health improvement potential that would cost nothing. Unfortunately this perverse [[incentive]] makes their development unlikely under [[capitalist]] [[healthcare]]. If people started to recognize the power of the placebo effect, and the many ways it can be produced and enhanced with simple rituals and a strong belief in the power of placebos, it would significantly eat into the profits of the [[pharmaceuticals]], as well as a wide range of dietary supplements, therapies, and other industries that rely on it.

	== The Placebo Store ==		== The Placebo Store ==

Fractalguy: /* Placebo Videos */

2024-12-04T13:03:03Z

Placebo Videos

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:03, 4 December 2024
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	[https://www.jordanharbinger.com/placebo-nocebo-effects-skeptical-sunday/ Jordan Harbinger - Neuroscientist Dr. Halena Hartmann on the Placebo/Nocebo Effect]		[https://www.jordanharbinger.com/placebo-nocebo-effects-skeptical-sunday/ Jordan Harbinger - Neuroscientist Dr. Halena Hartmann on the Placebo/Nocebo Effect]
			<br>
	{{#ev:youtube\|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gm02Oid8sbs\|\|center\|Why Does the Placebo Effect Work?\|frame}}		{{#ev:youtube\|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gm02Oid8sbs\|\|center\|Why Does the Placebo Effect Work?\|frame}}
			<br>
			{{#ev:youtube\|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JywtltdITv0\|\|center\|Fear and Faith - Derren Brown\|frame}}
			<br>
	{{#ev:youtube\|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtIlraE274E\|\|center\|The Power of Mind Over Body\|frame}}		{{#ev:youtube\|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtIlraE274E\|\|center\|The Power of Mind Over Body\|frame}}
			<br>
	{{#ev:youtube\|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udJ31KKXBKk\|\|center\|The Placebo Effect\|frame}}		{{#ev:youtube\|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udJ31KKXBKk\|\|center\|The Placebo Effect\|frame}}
			<br>
	{{#ev:youtube\|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REaiu-7wRvs\|\|center\|The Neuroscience Behind the Placebo Effect\|frame}}		{{#ev:youtube\|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REaiu-7wRvs\|\|center\|The Neuroscience Behind the Placebo Effect\|frame}}

Fractalguy: /* Placebo Videos */

2024-10-01T17:23:24Z

Placebo Videos

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:23, 1 October 2024
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	Placate your [[mind]] with these videos about the placebo effect.		Placate your [[mind]] with these videos about the placebo effect.

			[https://www.jordanharbinger.com/placebo-nocebo-effects-skeptical-sunday/ Jordan Harbinger - Neuroscientist Dr. Halena Hartmann on the Placebo/Nocebo Effect]

	{{#ev:youtube\|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gm02Oid8sbs\|\|center\|Why Does the Placebo Effect Work?\|frame}}		{{#ev:youtube\|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gm02Oid8sbs\|\|center\|Why Does the Placebo Effect Work?\|frame}}

Fractalguy at 00:08, 22 February 2024

2024-02-22T00:08:39Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:08, 22 February 2024
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	It is often as effective as regular [[music]] but it's really just a sugar pill.		It is often as effective as regular [[music]] but it's really just a sugar pill.

			{{#ev:youtube\|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjzdIdaYfOM\|\|center\|D4vd - Placebo Effect\|frame}}
			<br>
	{{#ev:youtube\|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sipYTuFZpFw\|\|center\|Sleepy Crow - Fake Medicine\|frame}}		{{#ev:youtube\|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sipYTuFZpFw\|\|center\|Sleepy Crow - Fake Medicine\|frame}}

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:31, 13 March 2026
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	It's certainly worth a shot. You can always go to the doctor if it doesn't work. It can't be emphasized enough that this is not a [[wikipedia:Panacea_(medicine)\|panacea]] or a [[contrarian]] rejection of modern [[medicine]], as many overzealous placebo advocates tend to claim.		It's certainly worth a shot. You can always go to the doctor if it doesn't work. It can't be emphasized enough that this is not a [[wikipedia:Panacea_(medicine)\|panacea]] or a [[contrarian]] rejection of modern [[medicine]], as many overzealous placebo advocates tend to claim.

			[[wikipedia:Nir_Eyal\|Nir Eyal's]] [[book]] [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/242764852-beyond-belief Beyond Belief: The Science-Backed Way to Stop Limiting Yourself and Achieve Breakthrough Results] is one of the best works yet on the relationship between our [[beliefs]] and our [[health]] and [[well-being]].

	{{#ev:youtube\|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsAMKnp4E98\|\|center\|The Pill That Works Even When You Know It's Fake\|frame}}		{{#ev:youtube\|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsAMKnp4E98\|\|center\|The Pill That Works Even When You Know It's Fake\|frame}}