Superhealing: Engaging Your Mind, Body, and Spirit to Create Optimal Health and Well-Being (ARC) by Elaine R. Ferguson Page A
Authors: Elaine R. Ferguson
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Superhealing Mind-Body Research Breakthrough 63
escaped her grip and went about my business. Looking back on that
scene, I now wonder if perhaps George’s wife had felt something in her husband’s response that caused her more concern than the doctor’s words.
After lunch, I walked past George’s room and noticed that a nurse
was changing his sheets. The room was empty. I wondered where he
and his wife were. I didn’t think any additional diagnostic tests were scheduled, so I asked the nurse. She replied, “George just died.”
I was stunned. I raced to the nurses’ station and asked my intern
if he knew what had happened. “Seems like he had a heart attack,” he answered. “I’m not sure we’ll ever know. Considering he was terminal, an autopsy real y isn’t in order.”
I believe the news of George’s diagnosis frightened him to death.
I real y do. There have been numerous reports of people receiving
frightening news and dropping dead on the spot. The damaging
changes to the brain that occur in the face of significant stress can be attributed to its adaptability to the environment. Our beliefs direct and shape our whole physiology in remarkable ways.
Perhaps the most significant example of the power of belief is the placebo effect. A placebo is an inert substance without any medicinal value, such as a sugar pil , that is given to a person who is under the false impression that it is an effective treatment. An individual’s belief alone can sometimes prompt an improvement. Placebo is Latin for “I shall please.” Thus, the placebo effect is the medical term used to describe the healing power of the mind.
Traditional y, even though the placebo effect can be measured,
it is explained in a way that minimizes its true power. Among re-
searchers, the placebo effect is presented as a nuisance, an interfering human artifact that compromises the pure approach of scientific research on active substances, such a medications and surgery. As
64
PART ONE: Your Superhealing Mind
a young doctor, I learned that the placebo effect was something we
“just had to live with.” It was to be tolerated, not accepted as a possibility in planning a course of treatment. However, I was absolutely fascinated by the notion that the mind was so powerful. Although
most people have heard of the placebo effect, I do not think many of us appreciate the opportunity it represents.
Your beliefs are quite powerful and have a direct effect on your
body’s responses. In fact, under the right conditions, your mind can heal your body in the absence of drugs or surgery. This is one of the most fascinating aspects of your superhealing ability.
The placebo effect is recognized as being so potent that for any
new drug to be considered a valid healing agent, it must be measured against a placebo to prove its effectiveness compared to the effectiveness of beliefs. To be approved by the Food and Drug Administra-
tion, every new drug study includes a placebo, and most approved
drugs actual y do only a little better than placebos. But doctors and drug companies don’t general y advertise this fact. As Ted Kaptchuk, a Harvard University professor and researcher who has spent his career studying the effect of placebos, has said, “Mainstream medicine uses the placebo effect all the time. Doctors don’t tell you the drug they’re giving you is barely better than a placebo. They all spin.” 27
In drug studies that take into consideration the power of the mind, the statistical difference between the “real thing” and the placebo is rarely more than 15 percent. Several studies have proved that placebo-induced sham treatments produce outcomes equal to those attrib-
uted to drugs and surgery in terms of providing relief from several common conditions. For instance, at Baylor College of Medicine, a
group of orthopedic surgeons led by J. Bruce Moseley were prompted to explore the true benefits of a type of arthroscopic knee
escaped her grip and went about my business. Looking back on that
scene, I now wonder if perhaps George’s wife had felt something in her husband’s response that caused her more concern than the doctor’s words.
After lunch, I walked past George’s room and noticed that a nurse
was changing his sheets. The room was empty. I wondered where he
and his wife were. I didn’t think any additional diagnostic tests were scheduled, so I asked the nurse. She replied, “George just died.”
I was stunned. I raced to the nurses’ station and asked my intern
if he knew what had happened. “Seems like he had a heart attack,” he answered. “I’m not sure we’ll ever know. Considering he was terminal, an autopsy real y isn’t in order.”
I believe the news of George’s diagnosis frightened him to death.
I real y do. There have been numerous reports of people receiving
frightening news and dropping dead on the spot. The damaging
changes to the brain that occur in the face of significant stress can be attributed to its adaptability to the environment. Our beliefs direct and shape our whole physiology in remarkable ways.
Perhaps the most significant example of the power of belief is the placebo effect. A placebo is an inert substance without any medicinal value, such as a sugar pil , that is given to a person who is under the false impression that it is an effective treatment. An individual’s belief alone can sometimes prompt an improvement. Placebo is Latin for “I shall please.” Thus, the placebo effect is the medical term used to describe the healing power of the mind.
Traditional y, even though the placebo effect can be measured,
it is explained in a way that minimizes its true power. Among re-
searchers, the placebo effect is presented as a nuisance, an interfering human artifact that compromises the pure approach of scientific research on active substances, such a medications and surgery. As
64
PART ONE: Your Superhealing Mind
a young doctor, I learned that the placebo effect was something we
“just had to live with.” It was to be tolerated, not accepted as a possibility in planning a course of treatment. However, I was absolutely fascinated by the notion that the mind was so powerful. Although
most people have heard of the placebo effect, I do not think many of us appreciate the opportunity it represents.
Your beliefs are quite powerful and have a direct effect on your
body’s responses. In fact, under the right conditions, your mind can heal your body in the absence of drugs or surgery. This is one of the most fascinating aspects of your superhealing ability.
The placebo effect is recognized as being so potent that for any
new drug to be considered a valid healing agent, it must be measured against a placebo to prove its effectiveness compared to the effectiveness of beliefs. To be approved by the Food and Drug Administra-
tion, every new drug study includes a placebo, and most approved
drugs actual y do only a little better than placebos. But doctors and drug companies don’t general y advertise this fact. As Ted Kaptchuk, a Harvard University professor and researcher who has spent his career studying the effect of placebos, has said, “Mainstream medicine uses the placebo effect all the time. Doctors don’t tell you the drug they’re giving you is barely better than a placebo. They all spin.” 27
In drug studies that take into consideration the power of the mind, the statistical difference between the “real thing” and the placebo is rarely more than 15 percent. Several studies have proved that placebo-induced sham treatments produce outcomes equal to those attrib-
uted to drugs and surgery in terms of providing relief from several common conditions. For instance, at Baylor College of Medicine, a
group of orthopedic surgeons led by J. Bruce Moseley were prompted to explore the true benefits of a type of arthroscopic knee
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