Lissa Rankin explores how the placebo effect has spiritual and scientific implications over us in this TEDtalk. She delves deeply into how our thoughts can powerfully affect our physiology. That if we believe we can get well, then we do.  The Placebo effect is solid evidence that the body has an innate self-repair system.

3,500 people diagnosed with incurable diseases like HIV, cancer, heart diseases, etc., participated in a study to test the placebo effect. Everyone’s illness disappeared without treatment!

In one of the cases Lisa discusses, a Mr. Wright was diagnosed with cancer and was given drugs he believed could cure him. Within days of taking the drugs, his tumors had shrunk to half their size.  A report was released two months later about the drug, saying it didn’t work so well and Mr. Wright’s cancer was back.

His sneaky doctor promised Mr. Wright that he had obtained a higher quality version of the same drug and injected him with distilled water. His tumors went away again because he believed they could. For another two months Mr. Wright was okay until the American Medical Association published a nationwide study that proved the drug was worthless. Two days later Mr. Wright died.

Lisa describes other countless times when people actually healed themselves with measurable proof on this TEDtalk. They heal their ulcers, grow back hair, shrink tumors and reduce all signs of illness! The mind initiates the healing and the body reacts.