The placebo effect holds some of the answers to the secret. According to Lissa Rankin, the secret might also be hidden behind the nurturing care of doctors and nurses. The Spontaneous Remission Project is a database of over 3,500 case studies from the medical literature. It contains a multitude of cases where patients have recovered from what were seemingly incurable illnesses.
When doctors tell you with a beaming smile that you’re going to be fine and that the drugs you just received ( sugar pills ) are incredibly effective and without side effects, you get a large release of healing chemicals and neurotransmitters like endorphins, nitric oxide and the love chemical oxytocin with its amazing healing capabilities. The responses only turned on when you’re totally relaxed. This goes to show how important it is to find that place of inner peace in your life.
When doctors tell you that things look bleak and that you might have three more months to live, it triggers a fear response. The Amygdala signals to the adrenal glands that you are in danger, triggering production and release of large amounts of stress hormones. These stress hormones, like cortisol and adrenaline shuts down your immune system.
Armed with this knowledge and future research we will have to rethink how we keep people alive, healthy and thriving. Listen to Lissa below as she discusses how our minds have the power to heal our bodies: