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Why Do Placebos Work?

  • October 10, 2016

A new study conducted at Harvard Medical School looked at the “magic” of placebos — inert pills that somehow “work” even though they contain only cellulose or sugar — and found that the brain is a huge player in helping you get well, CBS News reports.

The healing power of placebos is not a new concept. Many trials have shown that people often react to placebo in nearly the identical manner as an actual drug. Placebos have been shown to produce the release of a variety of brain chemicals, mimicking the effects of drugs. Even “sham” surgery has been found to “cure” some people.

Harvard’s latest research affirms earlier findings that the power of belief can be a potent healing force. Even conditions like Parkinson’s can improve because of the placebo effect. Interestingly, more recent investigations reveal the placebo effect is growing in potency among Americans, and it’s having a dramatic impact on the development of new painkillers.

This is a new way of thinking for many people, but the truth is it's often possible to feel better just because your mind subconsciously believes it's time, or your subconscious alters body processes in response to the placebo treatment without you even being aware of it.

If you would like to harness a placebo effect in your own life, the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is an extremely powerful tool that you can use to get to the root of your emotional conflicts, and release them, to help open your mind to the power of the placebo effect.