Let's begin a short part of the course where we're going to focus on placebo effect and how they are related to mindset. Most people think they understand placebo effects, but hold on, there are going to be some profound findings that we're going to discuss in the coming videos.

What are Placebo Effects?

In simple terms, placebo effects occur in science experiments when you have a pill you're working on and you're researching its effectiveness. You give some patients the pill and others a sugar pill (placebo) but tell them it's the same pill. Amazingly, people who took the sugar pill often experience some of the benefits promised by the drug just because they believe it will help them.

Examples of Placebo Effects

• Lowering blood pressure
• Relieving disease
• Relieving asthma
• Boosting the immune system

The placebo effect is deeply researched with a tremendous amount of data because many drug trials and scientific experiments require testing against it.

Traditional vs. Sophisticated View of Placebo Effects

Traditional View

If the drug is better than the placebo, then the drug works. Otherwise, it doesn't work.

Sophisticated View

The total drug effect is the drug effect plus the placebo effect. It's the addition of them: mindset plus the treatment. This translates to practical terms for everyday life as your mindset plus whatever you do to achieve your goals.

Placebo Effects in Everyday Life

In everyday life, there isn't a doctor saying, "Here's a drug, this may or may not be a placebo." Instead, you have certain things that occur, such as:

• Social Context: If someone you respect says a diet might work, and you believe them, the placebo effect of believing it plus the effects of the diet come into play.
• Doctor's Recommendations: A lifestyle change or drug recommended by a doctor includes the lifestyle change plus the placebo effect of believing it will work.
• Mindsets or Beliefs: These can be mindsets or beliefs you already hold or are considering adopting.
• Natural Physiological Processes: Changes in your body that you attribute to different reasons may lead you to believe in those reasons, creating a placebo effect.

Applying Placebo Effects to Your Life

Armed with the knowledge of how the placebo effect is related to your mindset and how strongly they can impact your life, we will explore more examples in the coming videos on how this can be used to improve your everyday life.