or say you were taking a medication that was helping a health problem, then you found out this medication is nothing but a vitamin or sugar (placebo.) If you find out it is a placebo, will it still help?
2007-12-23 01:52:19 · 13 answers · asked by ? 4 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
What if your belief that knowing that nothing but this pacebo helped me, you can make it work again. Then maybe one day, train yourself to not need anything.
2007-12-23 02:03:28 · update #1
its_victoria08 answer seems to make the most sense. Thank you!
2007-12-23 03:59:42 · update #2
It shouldn't, but it's easy to demonstrate that it does. Apparently there is a placebo effect not just in being fooled, but simply by the action of focusing attention on the problem and going through the motions.
Religious rites have demonstrable comforting effects even on nonbelievers for the same reason. The experience has an effect on the mind which in turn beneficially affects the physiology, and that is a placebo effect.
Likewise with whistling in the dark. It can make you psychologically more comfortable (an healthier for that) even knowing that it accomplishes nothing.
2007-12-23 02:01:01 · answer #1 · answered by Yaybob 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Technically, no. If the patient knows it is "fake", then it is not a placebo. This is not a philosophical idea. Just look it up in the dictionary.
pla-ce-bo:
–noun, plural -bos, -boes.
1. Medicine/Medical, Pharmacology.
(a) a substance having no pharmacological effect but given merely to satisfy a patient who supposes it to be a medicine.
(b) a substance having no pharmacological effect but administered as a control in testing experimentally or clinically the efficacy of a biologically active preparation.
So there you have it. Not knowing it is fake is part of what makes the "medicine" a placebo.
"If you find out it is a placebo, will it still help?"
--- Well, the entire point to the placebo is to use that group as a control. They think they are getting medicine, but are not. Then, there is a group that is truly getting the medicine, and they know it. If the control group heals or gets better at the same rate as the drugged group, then it can be thought that the medicine is not the reason for the healing... that there is some other factor common to both groups that caused the healing. If the control group does not get better, and the drugged group does, then one conclusion could be that the medicine could have worked. This is how scientists test medications.
So, in answer to that question... there isn't one. If the patient is getting better, then finds out it is fake medicine, then there are two things that could happen. (1) The patient will continue to get better, and it can then be assumed that even the thought that they were receiving medicine is not the reason for their better health. (2) The patient will stop getting better and it can then be assumed that just the thought that they were being helped aided the patient in recovery.
The human mind is an amazing thing... it can convince us of many incredible ideas that really can shape how medicine affects our bodies.
2007-12-23 03:51:54 · answer #2 · answered by its_victoria08 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Great question. Yes the placebo can help you because the greatest aide to healing is the mind. I do believe that you could train your mind to work the placebo. For it to have worked the first time. This would be what is required. Good luck.
2007-12-23 02:52:56 · answer #3 · answered by nutsfornouveau 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I doubt it -- placebo relies on the fact that you believe it is the real medicine. To remove this belief removes this property, so it'll just be sugar to you.
I do wonder though, if you take a medication thinking it is only sugar, does it still work?
2007-12-23 02:01:05 · answer #4 · answered by Heartitude 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, what helps is its psychological effect (the placebo effect). However, taking it a step deeper (or shallower) in semantics you might say that a placebo is a placebo even if you know it is one as long as it is a sugar pill.
2007-12-23 03:03:14 · answer #5 · answered by Said 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Simple... No.
If you know it's a placebo then the placebo effect cannot occur. It's a head game. If you think that something makes your dingy bigger, then you subconsciously psyche yourself out to believing you have a big dingy. That's why all these fake big dingy pills sell so much.
2007-12-23 02:01:06 · answer #6 · answered by StymieHo 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well, logically it shouldn't work once you find out what it really is!!! But we humans, can and do, sometimes let the lies work their magic. We knowingly allow ourselves to subdue reason to make things work on their own. That's the power of mind over matter.
Reminds me of an incident long ago when I was very young. I had some school project which I had postponed till the deadline and had to stay awake whole night to finish it. I was scared being up all alone but then I looked out of my window and found light in my neighbour's house. That gave me tremendous courage and I finished my work happily. When I put off my lights they did at the same time. Later I learnt what I saw was a reflection on their window of my own light. But the illusion worked very well for me.
Even today I think I'll allow such illusions to work, if they serve my purpose...being logical and reasonable all the time is such a burden!!!
2007-12-23 02:47:04 · answer #7 · answered by P'quaint! 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The placebo was an experiment of psychosomatics, mind over matter, self prophecy.
People who had contracted say cancer, in some cases had a higher rate and chance of survival if they werent told of their terminal illness.
Its based upon faith It is enough that you believe'
Faith is 75% of the cure as it were.
Doctors, priests, and men of similar distinction achieve results based on their trutworthiness and belief in the integrity to do what is in the best interests of those who believe in them.
2007-12-23 02:45:10 · answer #8 · answered by VAndors Excelsior™ (Jeeti Johal Bhuller)™ 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you truly believe that it will help you, then it will. It is unlikely if you know about the placebo and the 'placebo effect' but if you truly believe...
2007-12-23 02:09:32 · answer #9 · answered by megalomaniac 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
just thinking a positive thoughf changes your brain chemistry, taking a placebo does also. the act affects you brain, and thus the way it controls your organs, and the way you percieve things
2007-12-24 23:18:57 · answer #10 · answered by DoctorSchultz 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋