A recent comment asked about the impact of mindset with individual health… it is huge! And that got me thinking that this post should address that topic.

And as synchronicity would have it, I ended up discovering an article yesterday in Wired Magazine about impact of placebo on drug research. (See Articles link under Pages on this blogs home page to access the article.) Let’s explore placebo, mindset and impact in your life.

In a simple explanation, placebo is an inert/sugar pill, saline solution or such that is given as a control test during drug trials to measure the effectiveness of the drug. In research, if the individual believes they are receiving the actual drug, their physical body system creates a response that can be measured and compared with the actual drug responses. The placebo response may be equal to or greater than the actual drug. That creates havoc when attempting to prove the validity of a manufactured drug. (There is even one study of placebo surgery that has brought into question the efficacy of a certain type of knee surgery!)

How does mindset intersect with this? Have you ever been feeling sick, make a appointment to go to the doctor and start to feel better as you drive there or walk into the office? The entire ritual connecting you with the doctor is part of the belief system or mindset of your health response.

And the opposite is true to — as you hear about flu season or winter colds, there is a concept called nocebo demonstrated when once you accept or create a mindset that there is a flu season… guess what? You will ‘catch’ the flu; you will get sick. What is fascinating about this is the cold virus, the flu virus, etc are around us all the time. Some people ‘catch’ it and others don’t. Could it be the mindset of the individual that is impacting their health or lack of health?

The looming question about Placebo is: When will someone research how to harness the power of placebo rather than restructure the drug formula or drug trial protocols? You know the answer. If you want to take personal responsibility for your health, then look at your mindset about your health and lifestyle.

Do you believe there is a cold or flu season? Does everyone you know get sick? If there is one person that does not, then you can change your mindset to one of health rather than illness.

Probably the greatest impact of mindset with health is one of self responsibility. You are responsible for your lifestyle and the benefits you experience or the consequences. It is your choice… not the media advertisements, insurance company, our government or even your doctor.

It is your decision – choose to use the proven power of your mind for health.