Prompt Cast
The Power of the Placebo Effect in Reducing Symptoms
TLDR The placebo effect has been found to be effective in relieving symptoms such as pain, dizziness, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and nausea, and can even mimic the effects of real surgeries. It can cause real biochemical changes in the body, and new research suggests that it may work automatically without the need for belief or expectation.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The placebo effect can have a significant impact on reducing symptoms, even when patients are aware they are taking a placebo.
03:39
The host introduces the topic of the placebo effect and raises questions about its benefits, how it works, and its limitations.
08:01
Placebos have been found to be effective in relieving symptoms such as pain, dizziness, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and nausea, and can even mimic the effects of real surgeries for conditions like back or knee pain.
11:42
Placebos can cause real biochemical changes in the body, such as the release of neurotransmitters like endorphins and dopamine, which can change the experience of symptoms and even lead to changes in brain activity and heart rate.
15:26
The placebo effect can still make people feel better even when they know they are receiving a placebo, and new research suggests that the placebo effect may work automatically without the need for belief or expectation.
19:50
Fabrizio conducted an experiment where he conditioned people to associate the sound of oxygen with receiving real oxygen, and found that even when no oxygen was actually given, the placebo effect still worked and relieved their headaches.
23:54
Manfred Schedlowski is researching the placebo effect in order to help people reduce the amount of medicine they have to take, by conditioning their bodies to associate medication with a weird drink that mimics the effects of the drug.
27:53
The placebo effect has been shown to help people with various conditions, and while we don't fully understand how it works, it can have lasting effects and even work subconsciously.
