There is further proof that positive thinking can have physical effects on the body. I came across an article that describes a series of studies on the positive impact of the “placebo effect” on one’s brain. Here’s an excerpt:

Doctors have long thought the placebo effect was psychological.

Now scientists are amassing the first direct evidence that the placebo effect actually is physical, and that expecting benefit can trigger the same neurological pathways of healing as real medication does. Among them:

–University of Michigan scientists injected the jaws of healthy young men with salt water to cause painful pressure, while PET scans measured the impact in their brains. During one scan, the men were told they were getting a pain reliever, actually a placebo.

Their brains immediately released more endorphins — chemicals that act as natural painkillers by blocking the transmission of pain signals between nerve cells — and the men felt better. To return to pre-placebo pain levels, scientists had to increase the salt-water pressure.

“Our brain really is on drugs when we get a placebo,” says co-researcher Christian Stohler, now at the University of Maryland. More remarkable, some especially strong placebo responders suggest “many brains can actually stimulate that (pain-relief) system more.”

This is great news for those who need scientific proof of how powerful positive thinking is. The entire Live Science article can be read here.


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