Although I'm an atheist, I try not to crap all over people's belief in God. It may be nothing more than a placebo, a fairy tale that gives the hopeless hope, but sometimes a little hope is all people need to get through the day. Imagine a unit of soldiers under heavy enemy fire. They are told by their superiors to hold their position, even in the face of overwhelming fire power. The soldiers are being told that reinforcements are on the way, and that thought alone gives them the hope and courage to continue fighting, even if ultimately the reinforcements never arrive. I think some people simply need to believe that God is sending them reinforcements, to get through another day.

~ Oliver Gaspirtz

Oliver Gaspirtz Against All Odds Atheism Belief Belief In God Belief In Self Courage Courage Under Fire Faith Faith In God Fighting God Hope Hopeless Hopelessness Placebo Religion Soldier Soldiers Under Fire War

Eventually it became clear that our emotions, attitudes, and thoughts profoundly affect our bodies, sometimes to the degree of life or death. Soon mind-body effects were recognized to have positive as well as negative impacts on the body. This realization came largely from research on the placebo effect—the beneficial results of suggestion, expectation, and positive thinking.

~ Larry Dossey

Larry Dossey Healing Health Medicine Mind Body Placebo Positive Thinking

I felt Mr Willard had deserted me. I thought he must have planned it all along, but Buddy said No, his father simply couldn't stand the sight of sickness and especially his own son's sickness, because he thought all sickness was sickness of the will. Mr Willard had never been sick a day in his life.

~ Sylvia Plath

Sylvia Plath Blame Cause Guilt Illness Mental Health Placebo Shame Sickness Society

For people who are depressed, and especially for those who do not receive enough benefit from medication of for whom the side effects of antidepressants are troubling, the fact that placebos can duplicate much of the effects of antidepressants should be taken as good news. It means that there are other ways of alleviating depression. As we have seen, treatments like psychotherapy and physical exercise are at least as effective as antidepressant drugs and more effective than placebos. In particular, CBT has been shown to lower the risk of relapsing into depression for years after treatment has ended, making it particularly cost effective.

~ Irving Kirsch

Irving Kirsch Antidepressants Cognitive Behavior Therapy Depression Good News Placebo Psychotherapy

Prayer may be a placebo for the disease of helplessness, but placebos can make you feel better.

~ David Mitchell

David Mitchell Helplessness Placebo Prayer Religion

Believe in what makes you Healthy, because everything else is just garbage.

~ Gary Hopkins

Gary Hopkins Common Sense Emotional Health Emotional Intelligence Healing Health Placebo Self Awareness Self Empowerment

Just as the desperate, terminally ill cancer patient often turns to expensive placebos for an imaginary chance at more life, the desperate, terminally alive sad people turn to expensive placebos for a chance to imagine a decent life.

~ Sarah Perry

Sarah Perry Desperate Placebo Sad Terminally Ill

Music has touched me deeply, sometimes to tears. But at the same time it's been life-affirming, because I've been grateful for the fact that I'm alive and human and capable of being so moved.

~ Brian Molko

Brian Molko Brian Molko Feelings Life Music Placebo