The Gray Area with Sean Illing

A scientist's case for "woo-woo"

Jan 24, 2022

01:00:34

Highlights

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Episode notes

The Opposite of Stress Is Kindness

02:01

Is There a Difference Between Recky and Crystals?

04:44

Is There a Scientific Basis for Woo Woo?

02:30

Introduction

3min

Woo Woo! - David Hamilton Interview

4min

Is the Placido Effect Still a Scientific Mystery?

3min

What Is Woo Boo?

2min

The Opposite of Stress Is Kindness

2min

The Connection Between What We Believe and Our Physical Body

3min

Do You Think We Can Control Our Reality?

3min

How Can We Be Better in Those Moments?

4min

The Power of Our Mind to Affect Our Body

4min

10.

How Can We Prevent High Blood Pressure?

2min

11.

Using Future to Build a Workout Routine

3min

12.

Is There a Difference Between Recky and Crystals?

5min

13.

Psychodelics - A Book Review

2min

14.

Psychodelection and Adverse Childhood Experiences

4min

15.

Is There a Scientific Basis for Woo Woo?

2min

16.

How Do You Draw the Line Between Woo Woo?

2min

17.

You're Not Get to Be Anything

2min

18.

Are You Doing Something Wrong?

3min

19.

Is There a Level Playing Field for Positive Thinking?

3min

20.

The Discord Between Wooboo Defendants and the Skeptics

2min

21.

Vax' Conversation

2min

Sean Illing talks with David Hamilton, a scientist and former research chemist turned author, about his new book Why Woo-Woo Works, in which he offers a scientifically-grounded defense of alternative practices like meditation, crystals, and the law of attraction. They discuss the placebo effect and its far-reaching consequences for our understanding of the mind-body connection, the therapeutic potential of positive thinking, and why so much of what is called "woo-woo" still lies mostly outside the bounds of conventional Western medicine.

Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), Interviews Writer, Vox

Guest: Dr. David R. Hamilton (@DrDRHamilton), author

References:

Why Woo-Woo Works: The Surprising Science Behind Meditation, Reiki, Crystals, and Other Alternative Practices by David R. Hamilton, PhD (Hay House; 2021)
The Magic Power of Your Mind by Walter M. Germain (1940)
"The mechanism of placebo analgesia" by J.D. Levine, N.C. Gordon, H.L. Fields (Lancet; Sept. 1978)
How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body by David R. Hamilton, PhD (Hay House; 2018)
The British Society of Lifestyle Medicine
"Effects of Colorants and Flavorants on Identification, Perceived Flavor Intensity, and Hedonic Quality of Fruit-Flavored Beverages and Cake" by C.N. DuBose, A.V. Cardello, O. Maller (Journal of Food Science 45; 1980)
"Writing About Emotional Experiences as a Therapeutic Process" by James W. Pennebaker (Psychological Science; 1997)
"Psychology's Replication Crisis Is Running Out of Excuses" by Ed Yong (Atlantic; Nov. 19, 2018)

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This episode was made by:

Producer: Erikk Geannikis
Editor: Amy Drozdowska
Engineer: Paul Robert Mounsey
Deputy Editorial Director, Vox Talk: Amber Hall

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The Gray Area with Sean Illing

A scientist's case for "woo-woo"

The Opposite of Stress Is Kindness

Is There a Difference Between Recky and Crystals?

Is There a Scientific Basis for Woo Woo?

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