Lesson 2: Searching for the Cause of Health
Can you think yourself well?
My ankle was hurting so badly I was limping. We were moving my office. Friends noticed and were asking why I was limping. I didn’t know what I had done. We took a break for dinner. When I got up from eating, my ankle hurt even worse. I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth. As I looked in the mirror, I suddenly heard, there is nothing wrong with my ankle. I didn’t think about it again for a couple of hours.
I like to use that story as an example of faith. What if I had imagined, prayed or hoped that my ankle was better? Wouldn’t the first response be to take a step and see if it hurt? I didn’t even think about it. I knew nothing was wrong. I think one of my friends noticed that I wasn’t limping and made me think about it. I was fine.
These lessons will be based on the book You Are the Placebo by Dr. Joe Dispenza. I am listening to the audio book. You can buy it using the link.
In chapter 2, Dr. Dispenza gives examples of the power of placebo and nocebo effects. Placebo effect is when people get well because they believe they are benefiting from a treatment. Nocebo effect is the opposite - people become sick because of their thinking.
There are dramatic anecdotal examples of individuals making recoveries from cancer and other diseases. In fact, one man became well, discovered the medication was worthless and immediately developed tumors again. Then he was told he just needed a stronger dose and his tumors disappeared. He finally saw reports that the treatment really was worthless, and he died of cancer shortly.
In addition to case reports, there are research studies showing the power of our thinking. When people have positive thoughts, they are more likely to have better outcomes. One study stroked the arms of children with leaves. One arm was stroked with poison ivy and the other with leaves that were not noxious. If told that the arm stroked with non-noxious leaves was poison ivy, that arm was likely to have symptoms of poison ivy and the other arm might not. Dr. Dispenza gives many examples. He also looks at faith healing as a placebo effect and Voodoo as nocebo effect.
He is presenting the idea that the mind controls the body. At this point in the book, he has not gotten into the idea that there is no such thing as mind.
I gave a talk to a psychology class at Western Washington University. The professor told me that he was not allowed to talk about the power of the mind to control the body. The mind is considered to be an effect of the brain.
The reason is that dualism, the idea that there is a God or spiritual realm in addition to the material realm, is considered to be unscientific. Karl Popper presented the idea that all scientific ideas must be capable of being falsified. The sun rising in the east and setting in the west is the classic example. We believe that to be true. However, if the sun rose in the west and set in the east just once, the idea would be falsified and discarded.
It is claimed that a spiritual realm can’t be falsified. Those who believe tend to ignore data and claim they just need faith.
If there is only a material realm, then the idea that we have a mind is an illusion created by the brain. Under this hypothesis, everything is just neuroscience. As one psychologist put it, if we can’t find a mind around here somewhere, we might as well fold our tents and admit we’re just neuroscientists.
I find the idea of dualism to be beneficial even if it proves to be wrong. Telling people that they can control their lives is much better than telling them they are victims. Research points that out.
Placebo and nocebo effects can be explained by dualism or monism (only material realm). Either way the brain makes changes. We can measure the changes. If I tell someone they are getting a treatment, does the brain change to create hope in the mind? Does telling people they have control and how to live a better life create brain changes that make them think they can do better? Isn’t that better than the books that are written against free will?
I’m looking forward to learning more from Dr. Dispenza and passing it to you along with my thoughts.