What is the Placebo Effect?

How the Placebo Effect Works

The placebo effect is a phenomenon whereby someone experiences an improvement in a medical condition purely because they believe in the drug or treatment.

Although there's no scientific evidence to support crystals having the ability to heal, they're used for this purpose by millions of people around the world.

Scientists believe their healing ability comes from the placebo effect.

So, how does the placebo effect work?

A placebo is a drug or other treatment with no medicinal component that can improve someone's condition due to their belief in the drug or treatment. Other psychological-related factors also play a part.

In relation to crystals, from a scientific perspective, the positive outcome of using crystals for their healing properties comes from the user's belief, either consciously or subconsciously, in their ability to heal.

This is, however, more than just positive thinking. The placebo effect has been proven to be incredibly powerful. 

According to Professor Ted Kaptchuk, who conducted extensive research into the placebo effect, it's about creating a strong connection between the brain and body and how they work together.

The placebo effect was first observed in 1799 when British doctor John Haygarth tested the effectiveness of a quack remedy using a placebo. Four of the five patients who unknowingly participated in his experiment confirmed a reduction in pain.

The word 'placebo' comes from Latin for 'I shall please'. This term was first used in a medical dictionary in 1811 to describe how early doctors used medication to 'please' instead of to treat. This was because effective drugs didn't exist.

The phrase 'I shall please' can be traced back much further. It comes from a 14th-century psalm in the Latin Bible that was reproduced incorrectly from Hebrew biblical text, meaning "I shall walk."

Having then been mistranslated into Greek as "I shall please", it ended up as 'placebo,' the Latin translation.

Early placebos were pills made from sugar or bread. Injections were coloured water.
By the 1950s, placebos were being used to test new drugs. Some volunteers would be given a placebo, while others received the drug. What researchers didn't expect was for the placebo to have an effect that was often on par with the drug.

Placebo surgeries, known as 'sham surgeries', have even been carried out. In some more extreme examples, the patient was cut open and stitched up without any medical procedure having taken place.

The placebo effect, which has been studied extensively over many years, is known to achieve positive results for a wide variety of conditions. When someone is convinced a treatment will be effective, it triggers something in the brain that causes a genuine improvement.

The placebo effect has changed heart rate and blood pressure and even released endorphins to treat stress and manage pain. It has also been used effectively to treat anxiety and depression.

Trials have shown that, in some cases, the effect of a placebo can be as effective as an antidepressant. 

In one study, a group of people were given a milkshake. Some were told it was low-calorie, while others were told it was high-calorie. All the shakes were low-calorie.  Results showed that many who believed they had consumed a fattening drink gained weight.

Scientists know that for the placebo effect to work, everything about the drug, treatment and environment in which it's delivered must be realistic and convincing.

When a small group of people were treated for an allergic reaction using a placebo cream, the results differed depending on several factors.

Those treated in a pristine medical environment by a doctor they believed was an expert in their field reacted positively. Those who received the same treatment in a casual environment by a student doctor who appeared to lack confidence experienced no improvement.

The positive reaction is caused purely by the mind and the power of perception.
  
The placebo effect is why using crystals for their healing properties works for some people but not others.

Healing Properties of Crystals

The use of crystals for their healing properties was re-popularised during the New Age movement of the 1970s and 1980s. This period was about religious freedom, transformation and enlightenment, spiritual awareness and personal growth.

The New Age movement promoted a holistic approach to health and well-being, which included practising yoga, meditating, eating healthy foods and using crystals for their metaphysical healing properties.

Leaders encouraged their use for spiritual guidance and to improve health and well-being. Many even claimed that crystals could teach.
Since the dawn of time, rocks and minerals have been used for their healing properties. They've been used as amulets and talismans and to treat a wide variety of medical conditions.

The oldest legends of crystals being used for healing date back to the mythical Kingdom of Atlantis. Records from 4,500 BC show the ancient Sumerians used them for magical potions. Crystals were also widely used by the Ancient Greeks and Romans.

Few comprehensive scientific studies exist regarding the ability of crystals to heal. Research has shown New Age literature lacks evidence and hard facts that can be backed up by science.

By the end of the 1980s, the New Age movement had lost momentum. As times changed, the practice of using crystals began to diminish. This is likely because as science progressed, there was insufficient evidence to support their healing ability.

Some twenty years later, a worldwide resurgence began. This latest trend of using crystals for healing has led to the creation of a multi-billion-dollar industry.

How do Crystals Work?

Understanding how crystals work is important to benefit from their healing properties. They do not have magical powers and should never be used to replace conventional medicine.

Unless you're open-minded to their healing ability and ready to embrace change, you're unlikely to experience any improvement.

The belief that crystals can be used for therapeutic purposes comes from the idea that they absorb and transmit energy. This energy is believed to engage with the energy field of the human body to promote physical, emotional and spiritual healing.

Crystals are placed around the body or on chakra points. They can also be laid out in a grid.

Their healing effects can also be experienced by having them in rooms where you spend the most time or wearing or carrying them.

The healing that's experienced is described as a sense of wholeness, a feeling of serenity and harmony with the world around you.

It's believed to be achieved by aligning the mind, emotions and spirit and clearing energy blockages in the aura.

Enabling energy to flow freely is believed to support health and well-being. Blockages are said to cause mental or physical impairment, which could lead to illness.
Many healing crystals are believed to keep people grounded. Grounding is a sense of being in control of one's mental and physical self. You're conscious of what's happening around you and enjoy an inner calmness that enables you to deal with any situation.

Being grounded means not feeling overwhelmed or struggling to deal with everyday tasks and generally having a positive outlook.

The term 'well-being' encompasses feelings of protection, relaxation, confidence and support.

Scientists say the practice of cleansing and recharging crystals legitimises their healing ability. This ritual is likened to how medical equipment is prepared and sanitised before and after a procedure.

Many crystal healers say that to benefit from the healing properties of crystals, you must first learn how to work with them. Scholars explain this learning process as a means of enhancing our perception and awareness.

By training the mind to understand something we find interesting, we become more open to it. In relation to crystals, that's likely to lead to a more positive response.

Science has proven the placebo effect is more than just mind over matter. The mental, physical or emotional change that can be achieved cannot be underestimated. The placebo effect has a huge potential in medicine and is taken very seriously.

What's the Nocebo Effect?

The nocebo effect is the opposite of the placebo effect.

The word nocebo comes from the Latin 'nocere' meaning 'to harm'. It refers to the brain's ability to influence health in a negative way.

Like the placebo effect, the nocebo effect is caused by the power of suggestion, expectation and personal experience.

The nocebo effect is the phenomenon in which a person experiences adverse or harmful effects due to a negative expectation or belief about a treatment or therapy.

If someone believes a medication will cause a particular side effect, they may experience it.

Similarly, if they're told a medical procedure or treatment will be painful or uncomfortable, they may experience more pain or discomfort than they would otherwise.

Conclusion

Using crystals for their healing properties can be rewarding and enjoyable. They're aesthetically pleasing and, when polished, can be incredibly tactile. Many have a magical quality that's difficult to put into words.

My advice is to appreciate crystals for what they are and to keep an open mind. Don't expect miracles, and be patient if they don't have the desired effect.

Most importantly, don't believe everything that you read.

If science is right, as it usually is, and the placebo effect is responsible for crystals' ability to heal, then what better way to improve health and well-being than by using the power of the mind?

Hypnosis works in a very similar way.