ps418

Absolutely! And if Egyptian art is any indication, they have frequent erections also.

Wyz_sub10

The placebo effect is often misunderstood.

For one, this can imply a short-term "feeling" of recovery that fails in the long-term. i.e. I *think* I'm better, but I'm not.

Second, the placebo effect as a "solution" is usually limited to incidents of pain or nausea. In other words, headaches or backaches or flu *symptoms* may be addressed by the placebo effect. This effect, however, does not cure cancer or diabetes.

Mad Kally

The placebo effect can certainly heal psychosomatic disorders. Now referred to as Somtoform disorder. Because it originates in the mind doesn't make the pain any less real to the patient. Of course it can't heal REAL diseases. Somatoform disorders are much more common than you might think.

ps418: Absolutely! And if Egyptian art is any indication, they have frequent erections also.

Egads! Whoda thunk?


Shake, from my experience laughter really is the best medicine. It releases beta-endorphins. Yes there have been many studies on the subject. It's works especially well with terminal patients. There is no other medicine left except narcotics.

Please don't make me look up the studies right now?

Jamie_L

Should read the whole thread first. Nothing new to offer.

Jamie

CALDONIA

Prayer cannot heal, it can only uselessly appeal.

echidna

Further to Kally’s observations over endorphin release, a significant known physiological contributor to illness is stress. Once again, a patient blissfully ignorant that their prayers to heaven are as about useful as tits on a bull, is quite likely less stressed than the fully informed patient who knows every clinical detail of the cancer which is eating away at their temporal lobe minute by minute.

No, prayer ain’t gonna cure a broken leg (and nor will it grant immortality, Kal), but at the same time, we seem to suffer from an increasing degree of psychosomatic illness & the mind cannot be ignored in these circumstances. And even where serious ailments are concerned, the role of the mind is important where it is possible to relieve stress.

A young friend of mine died tragically from cancer a few years ago. She was a qualified doctor & yet after long treatment, her oncologist even encouraged her to seek a naturopath, maybe no so much for clinical relief, but being quite a spiritual person, it helped to put Caroline’s mind at ease. I’ll always remember that as a very dignified and beautiful way to die from such an abhorrent illness.

It’s fresh in my mind because the radio program I was listening to was discussing a new program here where non-critical medication dosages are being trialled here for the Placebo Effect. Patients can elect to undergo personal Placebo Effect trial with their doctor, to determine whether or not the medication is having real effects or not. Particularly beneficial when most patients would prefer not be popping pills unless they really needed to.

Principia

Can prayer heal? How does one design a controlled study to test the hypothesis?

The real problem I see in this question are the extremists who believe absolutely that only prayers can heal. The stories that particularly disturb me are the parents who withold medical services from children on religious bases.

Go here for some examples.

Mad Kally

No matter how much I've argued in the past or might still argue in the future over naturopathy etc., I will never forget your story of Caroline. I don't care what she did to put her mind at ease as long as it worked for her. I'll remember that with my terminal patients too. Thank you. That is the kind of death we strive for...

Kally

mike_decock

I've heard of studies that show a correlation between prayer and healing. Whether or not they were scientifically valid studies, or if the results were statistically significant is the real question right now. So far, the positive results don't seem to have anything to do with what religious group you belong to, only that prayer appears to have a positive effect.

I'm not completely close-minded to the possibility of the efficacy of prayer. Perhaps our brains are capable of affecting matter at a quantum level or something.

Can Prayer Heal?

-Mike...

Mad Kally

Please read these skeptics articles regarding the power of prayer?!? Prayer Related Articles

Kally