You don’t need a pill – psychological placebos work, too

Placebo pills are often found to be as effective as the drug – suggesting it’s the mind or perception of the person that matters more than the chemical agent – and the same is just as true for purely psychological placebos when nothing is physically being taken.

Researchers from the University of Basel tested the theory on a group of 421 people who were shown the colour green in a series of video experiments; however, half saw the colour without explanation and the rest saw it with a narrative that the colour was calming and had a positive effect on emotions.

Those who had the narrative reported a greater sense of well-being afterwards, and these positive feelings lasted for a week.

(Source: Scientific Reports, 2019; 9: doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-37945-1)

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