How much of it is mental? I've seen studies that indicate that 30% to 60% of people are "helped" by placebos.
"Placebos won't lower your cholesterol or shrink a tumor. Instead, placebos work on symptoms modulated by the brain, like the perception of pain. "Placebos may make you feel better, but they will not cure you," says Kaptchuk. "They have been shown to be most effective for conditions like pain management, stress-related insomnia, and cancer treatment side effects like fatigue and nausea." ("The Power of the Placebo Effect", Harvard Health online, Dec. 13, 2021)
In other words, if you believe strongly enough that it (whatever "it" happens to be) helps, it will.
|