The Jordan Harbinger Show 716: Jo Marchant | Placebos and the Science of Mind over Body
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Aug 25, 2022 Jo Marchant, an award-winning science journalist and author, explores the fascinating power of placebos and the mind-body connection. She reveals how our immune systems can be trained and underscores the critical impact of stress on health. Marchant also discusses the role of social relationships in boosting well-being and poses the intriguing question of whether belief in God can extend life. With her insights, she advocates for a deeper understanding of how perception can significantly influence health outcomes.
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Placebo Power
- Placebo effects cause measurable biological changes in the brain, similar to drug effects.
- These changes are not imagined improvements, but real biological responses.
Acupuncture vs. Placebo vs. Drugs
- In a chronic back pain trial, acupuncture and placebo acupuncture outperformed conventional drug treatments.
- This highlights the potential of placebo, even when the mechanism isn't fully understood.
Mind-Body Bias
- Scientific prejudice against subjective experiences, like pain, contributes to downplaying the mind's role in health.
- Drug company funding biases research toward physical treatments over mind-body therapies.
