[thaddeus]

I've read estimates that placebo effect could be upwards of 30% and more in an experiment. Placebo here meaning actual placebo plus all the other factors that could result in a positive outcome. Suppose 1 million people practice some bogus qigong healing exercise...that means you could have 350,000 people going on about how great the system is and how it healed this or that.
Hmmmm...
T

[thelerner]

If a well believed placebo works faster, cheaper and gets good results then don't knock it.

In Roman times there was often a specific prayer that accompanied different medicines. In our modern age we poo poo such needless superstition, but I think we handicap a remedy by just swallowing it without a prayer or positive thought to wash it down with.

New age or old age, there's more at work then chemical reactions.



Michael