Scientists know the mind has immense power to trigger healing and recovery. While research might not be able to explain the whys and hows, the impact that faith and spiritual beliefs have on healing cannot be denied. Anyone who’s ever been involved with a clinical trial for a new drug knows that belief can impact the success or failure of the trial.

Here’s why.

Placebos are inactive drugs with no therapeutic benefit. Depending upon the illness being researched, placebos are usually administered in lieu of the drug being studied or in combination with another drug for more serious illnesses. The power of the mind and spirit is demonstrated by what is known as the “placebo effect,” a physical benefit that may occur and can’t be attributed to the treatment itself. Placebos have been investigated for years. A 1955 American Medical Association article reported that during World War II, when morphine was unavailable, soldiers who received a saltwater solution for their pain still experienced pain relief. Ample research confirms the placebo effect impacts a variety of clinical trials for psychiatric illness, including those involving antidepressants, and pretty much every other type of drug trial that I can recall.

I share this because I occasionally receive comments on my blogs that question my beliefs, imply I need a reality check and tell me to stop being…whatever.

I’ve studied spirituality, religion, nutrition and hypnosis for 30 years because of my personal interests. Professionally, for the past 30 years, I’ve analyzed data from pharmaceutical and biotech clinical trials. My beliefs and science are now merged with my philosophical ways of seeing life—because when trial data miss the endpoint, it’s often due to the placebo effect or the nocebo effect, which involves imagined negative responses from a non-therapeutic placebo.

Our powerful minds will go in the direction of what we focus on—whether good or bad. Silver Disobedience® is a place for critical thinking with a strong dose of direction to keep our ideas real and actionable.

I’m @DianGriesel aka @SilverDisobedience