| In Lawrence LeShan's book, Alternate Realities: The | | | | attack, the doctor administered a placebo however, |
| Search for the Full Human Being, he says, "A reality is | | | | the patient's condition did not change. This result |
| real to you when you act in terms of it... It is a valid | | | | served as evidence to the doctor that the new drug |
| reality when, using it, you can accomplish the goals | | | | was indeed quite effective. To his amazement he |
| acceptable to it." The effects of internal thoughts as | | | | later received a letter from the drug's manufacturer |
| a valid reality are often most evident with miraculous | | | | stating that they had shipped out the placebo instead |
| cases of healing attributed to the placebo effect or | | | | of the actual medication. So, the patient had never |
| suggestions given during hypnosis. | | | | truly received the new drug. He had only been |
| The word placebo is Latin for "I shall please." Often | | | | exposed to the doctor's enthusiasm. This type of |
| called a sugar pill, its pharmaceutical effects are | | | | scenario led James McCormick to state, "The |
| considered innocuous. The power of the placebo is | | | | physician's belief in the treatment and the patient's |
| found in the belief system of the one receiving it. In | | | | faith in the physician exert a mutually reinforcing |
| blind studies which test the effectiveness of a new | | | | effect; the result is a powerful remedy that is almost |
| medication, doctor's often administer the actual | | | | guaranteed to produce an improvement and |
| medication to one half of the group under study and | | | | sometimes a cure." |
| administer a placebo to the other half, often called | | | | While some of the research concerning the placebo |
| the control group. While these types of studies have | | | | effect credits the results of this treatment to the |
| been considered reliable for decades, in 2000 | | | | body's incredible ability to heal itself, most researchers |
| researchers from the University of Copenhagen and | | | | attribute the improved condition of the patients and |
| the Nordic Cochrane Center in Denmark added a new | | | | even their complete healing to psychological effects |
| twist to the process. They administered drugs to | | | | brought to bear by the patient's own beliefs. |
| part of the group, placebos to another part of the | | | | In an effort to show just how much control the mind |
| group and only monitored the actual control group. Of | | | | has over the condition of the body, Talbot cites the |
| those receiving the placebo, about 35% were cured. | | | | unusual medical conditions of folks who have multiple |
| This has been the statistical norm since the first | | | | personality disorders. In one such case, all but one of |
| studies in the mid 1950s. What was significant about | | | | the sub-personalities, or alters, of a certain patient |
| this new test was that the same percentage of the | | | | immediately broke out in an allergic rash when |
| control group was also cured. Recall that the control | | | | exposed to orange juice. The non-allergic personality |
| group received no medication and no placebo. Their | | | | could drink all the orange juice he wanted with no |
| progress was only monitored. However, that same | | | | side-effect whatsoever. He also referred to case |
| study did find that those receiving the placebo | | | | studies which showed that drug dosage was |
| reported less pain than the control group. | | | | especially problematic among adult multiples who had |
| Researchers who have specifically studied the | | | | children as alters. If they were given an adult dosage |
| placebo effect have often run into difficulty when | | | | of a medication, they could immediately begin to |
| properly assessing their statistics. The problem is that | | | | suffer an overdose reaction when a child personality |
| the effect has everything to do with the subjective | | | | took over. |
| and personally unique attitude and belief system of | | | | One of the most amazing facts Talbot points out in |
| the patient. In some cases, a patient who exhibits no | | | | his comments about multiples is that they are difficult |
| confidence in the treatment they are receiving will | | | | to anesthetize. He states, "There are accounts of |
| manifest a negative physical reaction to the placebo. | | | | multiples waking up on the operating table after one |
| In effect, they show signs of side-effects to an inert | | | | of their non-anesthetizable sub-personalities has taken |
| substance. This is called the nocebo effect. | | | | over." What makes this an amazing feat is that it |
| In the last few decades, research conducted on new | | | | brings into question the function of the brain as being |
| trial medications are most often conducted as a | | | | the sole source of the mind. If the brain rules the |
| double-blind study. This means that neither the doctor | | | | body and the patient's brain is chemically rendered |
| nor the patient know if they are receiving the actual | | | | unconscious, how could they switch to a personality |
| medication or the placebo. The reason for this | | | | that is completely awake? |
| condition is that researchers found that often times | | | | Talbot also cites that some research has been |
| the doctor's attitude toward the medication being | | | | conducted showing that multiples exhibit different |
| administered affected the patient's attitude toward | | | | brainwave patterns from one another. This evidence |
| the treatment. In his book, The Holographic Universe, | | | | is highly controversial, mainly because it brings so |
| author Michael Talbot cites a story told by placebo | | | | many metaphysical questions to the forefront. Do |
| specialist Dr. David Sobel, of a doctor treating his | | | | the auric fields and thought-forms surrounding a |
| asthma patient with a new trial drug. He told the | | | | person play a significant role in how the body |
| patient that this drug was particularly potent and | | | | functions? Where exactly is the mind located and |
| would clear up the breathing problems. Within minutes | | | | what is the source of consciousness? These are just |
| of administration, the patient's condition improved | | | | some of the questions researchers of many |
| dramatically. Later, when the patient suffered another | | | | disciplines are trying to figure out. |