The Power of Placebos

Has mind-body medicine finally gone mainstream? Almost half of Chicago physicians of internal medicine responding to a study on placebos reported using them as “therapeutic” tools in their clinical practice. And 96 percent of the physicians said they believe placebos can benefit patients, the study reported. A placebo is an inactive substance containing no medication that is given to reinforce a patient’s expectation to get well. Placebos are also known for their use in controlled clinical trials to determine the effectiveness of a drug. Another review of a dozen separate studies concluded that belief and expectation of placebos induced discrete physiological changes in patients, including the body’s production of a natural analgesic, leading to pain relief. When subjects were given a hidden or blind injection of a substance known to block this natural analgesic, the pain returned. Research documenting the profound influence of the mind is vast. What are you doing to take advantage of your powerful mind? Decades of studies have proven the ability of meditation, yoga, qigong, relaxation techniques, and other alternative practices to effect healing, improve emotional well-being, and aid recovery from surgery. In his groundbreaking book Superimmunity, Dr. Paul P. Pearsall documented the power of psycho-immunology, or how the mind affects the body’s immune responses. Pearsall long ago recognized that a positive healing environment could be created through a spiritually rich and supportive visualization process. In our Perfect Health Paraliminal, positive language and mental imagery are used to encourage the release of the body’s immune response for healing. Through the right use of your imagination, you too can connect with the healer within and gain access to vast inner resources that can influence your health. Tap your powerful mind. Engage in the following visualization process 10 to 15 minutes a day: * Sit or lay in a comfortable position. Close your eyes. And breathe deeply and slowly. * Decide what area of your physical or emotional health you want to enhance now. * Think about a time when you felt good, strong, and healthy. Visualize your “perfect self” standing over your body and scanning the area that requires attention. * Imagine directing healing light energy to this location, restoring perfect balance. Establish a regular visualization process to align your mind and body for perfect health and well-being. The infinite intelligence of the body/mind does the work when given the proper impetus to do so. To increase faith in the integrity of your body and confidence in its perfect working order, I recommend you listen to the Perfect Health Paraliminal. Simply push play, close your eyes, relax, and listen. This closed-eye process activates your "whole mind" with a precise blend of music and words to help you get the most out of every minute. To learn more about Perfect Health and the other Paraliminal programs, please click here.