“The largest-ever brain scan study of the placebo effect has revealed that it seems to act on systems in the brain that process the emotional aspect of pain, which could explain why sugar pills can ease discomfort,” wrote Moheb Costandi in New Scientist magazine.
“Expectation, suggestion and social cues can all influence the placebo effect, where a person’s symptoms lessen after taking dummy medicine that they believe to be an effective treatment.”
And this research points to a mechanism by which mindfulness can be used to manage emotions and thereby alleviate the perception of pain.
“The placebo effect is a way for your brain to tell the body what it needs to feel better,” explained Harvard Prof. Ted Kaptchuk.
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