Mind over Matter: 
The Placebo Phenomenon  

Science has been one of the greatest areas of discovery for humanity from the past few centuries. Our ability to ask questions and seek answers has led us to many unique discoveries and even inventions which at one point in time, humans could not even imagine.

Science has been answering all of our questions and has been explaining the wonders of natures, but there are still some phenomenon’s that are unanswered and science has got not a single clue of its actions.

Here is a list of some of the most common Phenomena that remain to be unexplained:

-       Intuition

-       Cosmological constant problem

-       Dark matter

-       The Vacuum catastrophe

-       The Placebo Phenomenon 

This article will be focusing on the biggest phenomenon: The Placebo Phenomenon

Here is a small piece of an article from Live Science, where the Placebo Phenomenon was rated the number one unexplained Phenomena

Medical science is only beginning to understand the ways in which the mind influences the body. The placebo effect, for example, demonstrates that people can at times cause a relief in medical symptoms or suffering by believing the cures to be effective — whether they actually are or not. Using processes only poorly understood, the body's ability to heal itself is far more amazing than anything modern medicine could create.

http://www.livescience.com/11345-top-ten-unexplained-phenomena.html

What is the Placebo Phenomenon?

Definition: placebo effect (any effect that seems to be a consequence of administering a placebo; the change is usually beneficial and is assumed result from the person's faith in the treatment or preconceptions about what the experimental drug was supposed to do; pharmacologists were the first to talk about placebo effects but now the idea has been generalized to many situations having nothing to do with drugs)

In other words, placebos are something that seems to be like an actual medical treatment but it’s not. It could be anything from a shot to a pill or even a false surgery to make the patient seem as if their treatment is in process but in reality nothing is being done. What all placebos have in common is that there's nothing in them that can treat a medical condition in a way that is understood by science.

   How are Placeboes used ?

The usage for placebo’s is to test new medicine. Researches would use placeboes during studies and to help them better understand new medicine that was being devoloped and to know the effects and side effects.

For example, researches might study a medicine that cures headaches. To do so, they will have two test groups. One would get the actual mediscine and others will get the placebo medicine (the fake mediscine, that is just a pill). In this case no one is aware that there is a placebo mediscine and every group thinks that they are getting the actual thing.

Finally, researches can compare the results from the group that had the placebo and the group that had the original medicine and check for side effects.

When is this Phenomenon Seen?

As one is given a placebo treatment unknowingly, people actually get a response to a placebo. The response can be positive but also negative. Patients’ symptoms may improve and ultimately go away but on the other hand a person may have what seem to be the side effects of the medicine.

The unique thing about a placebo is that it can even work if someone knows that they are given a placebo treatment. Studies have shown that the placebo effect has treated depression, pain, sleep disorders and other syndromes.

Is there an Explanation?

There have been many debates and lots of research done on this topic and how the placebo effect works but one of the most common theories suggests that the reason of this effect has something to do with the relationship of the mind and body. This theory states that due to the persons expectations of getting better/or having side effects, the body’s own chemistry can sauce effects similar to the medicine.

The strength of the expectation or feeling is also key according to this theory. The stronger the person feels that the “medicine”, which is actually just an ordinary pill will work for them, the greater the effect and cure is. This potentially is the cure to any problem but the key in this is belief and expectation, the patient needs to be 100% sure that it will work just as one behaves with a real pill.

The same effect appears for negative effects as well. When people expect to have side effects they will.

This can essentially cure anyone, not just mentally but physically too! Studies have shown that when patients are given placebo as pain killers, the body produces endorphins which are the natural pain relievers.