Before we get under way…
Hi Guys. Today’s post is a little sciencey (in parts) but I’ve done my best to keep it as understandable as possible. This topic will challenge some people because it simply won’t fit into everybody’s personal paradigm of how things work. As always, I’m not suggesting that you simply believe or take what I write as gospel but rather that you consider and explore the ideas for yourselves. That is, learn your own truth. Consider what you might learn beyond what you already know. 
PsychoneuroWHAT?
I’ve spoken to you before about a thing called Psychoneuroimmunology (say that ten times fast). PNI is (put simply) the impact our thinking can have (positively or negatively) on our immune system. Some might call it the interplay or relationship between our thoughts and our physiology (well, part of our physiology). It is now known – not hypothesised or theorised – that our thoughts can increase or decrease our chances of becoming sick, of recovering more quickly or slowly and, in some instances, of recovering at all. No, we don’t totally understand it (well, I don’t) but, yes, we know it’s a reality. In fact, we have known about (the science of) PNI for around forty years. We just haven’t explored it, exploited it or tapped into it as effectively as we could. In my opinion.
However, in many cultures less scientific and educated than ours, 
the powerful relationship between mind and body (in terms of potential for healing) has been respected, explored and exploited for millennia.
Some shamans in remote areas of the world are well aware of the power of an individual to cure themselves and use that as a legitimate part of their “whole person” treatment. Their ceremonies sometimes give their patient the feeling that they are being given “the works”. The sick person totally buys into the treatment, and their internal curative powers step in to do the work. That is, they heal themselves courtesy of their belief in the ‘treatment’. (P.19, book reference to follow).
I also wrote a few weeks ago about how we can consciously manipulate our physiology (respiration, blood pressure, heart rate, hormone production, sweat response, anxiety levels and lots more) while doing absolutely nothing but sitting in a chair and thinking. Our body doesn’t know the difference between fantasy and reality so it responds (physiologically) as though the experience is real. Which is why when you dream that you’re being attacked by bad guys in a dark alley, you wake up with your body in a state of heightened arousal. No, not that kind of arousal. The other one: the stress response.
Even though you’re lying there sound asleep, your body responds as if the experience is totally real because it doesn’t differentiate between your dream-state (your self-created reality) and what happens when you’re awake and functioning in your physical world. Your mind has created your reality (and we don’t only do this when we’re asleep, by the way!). Was it your intention to create that physical response? No. Was it a conscious process? No. It all happened without your consent (so to speak), without your knowledge and at a level below your conscious self.
It’s amazing that our mind can create this kind of (perceived) reality isn’t it? If I were to ask you if you believe whether or not it’s possible to manipulate your physiology (heart rate, hormones, blood pressure, etc.) through thought alone, would your answer be ‘yes I do’ or ‘no I don’t’? At this point, I’ll assume it’s yes.
Okay, what if I were to ask you if you believe that you could heal yourself from a terminal disease using a similar process – that is, manipulating your physiology (creating change on a cellular level) via thought? I’m guessing if we were all totally honest, most of us would answer ‘er, probably not’ to that question. “Sure, I want to believe it, but I don’t think I can. It doesn’t really make sense.”
And therein lies (part of) the problem.
Of course, it’s hard to believe in a concept like self-healing because, with our current level of knowledge and understanding of how things work, it doesn’t make sense. Just ask the experts; they’ll tell you. And in order to believe, most of us need things to make sense. Being a scientist (of sorts), I’m all for proof, logic, data and evidence but the fact remains: when it comes to the human body and its potential, there’s simply a lot we still don’t know or understand. Especially when it comes to the mind-body dynamic and the potential therein.
We’ve all heard of people who have taken tablets full of nothing (placebos) in double-blind studies who have experienced immediate relief from certain physical symptoms (sometimes chronic symptoms) because they believe they’ve taken an actual drug. While we still don’t (totally) understand it, we now know that our belief can affect our physiology on a cellular level. It can create chemical changes. It can slow or accelerate healing. It can turn hair grey.
David R Hamilton (a cool bloke with a Ph.D in organic chemistry) in his (awesome) book It’s the Thought That Counts asserts that it’s often not the drug which does the healing but rather our belief in the drug. That is, we (unknowingly) create the appropriate chemical reaction independent of the actual tablet. Is that amazing or what!?
Take a peek at a few extracts from his book:
Some doctors believe that it is important to give a patient a new drug while it is still considered the “in thing” because once a new drug appears on the scene, the previous one seems to lose much of its miraculous healing power. It’s not because the medicine stops working but because people stop believing in it (P.19).
Time has revealed that many miraculous medicines of the past had almost no curative powers of their own. But the patients who believed in them and were cured by them didn’t know that at the time (P.19).
Taking faith out of the healing equation would nevertheless reveal many medicines to be very powerful, but it is just not possible to remove faith (belief). The bottom line is that if you believe in a particular medicine, or in the doctor who prescribed it, then it is more likely to work for you. Conversely, if you don’t believe in the medicine or the doctor, there is a good chance that you will negate the medicine’s power. (P.19)
And here’s the kicker – my personal fave (you might need to read it a few times):
It is now understood that neuropeptides are involved in a whole array of different bodily functions, from hormone regulation to protein manufacture, cellular repair upon injury, memory storage and pain management. So, since neuropeptides are produced by emotion, all of these things are affected by how a person feels. It is now known that there is an entire psychosomatic network connecting the body and mind involving hundreds of neuropeptides and thousands of receptor locations throughout the body. Any of a vast range of thoughts or feelings can cause a whole cascade of changes in a person’s body (P.28).
And I love this sentence….
The whole body is psychosomatically wired to dance to the tune of thought and emotion (P.29).
I know some of this stuff can be a little technical, sciencey, confusing and.. er.. out-there, but hopefully you get the gist of the message: what we believe can have a dramatic (and often, instant) impact on our physiology. For good or bad. I’m still studying and slowly getting my head around this topic so that I might be able to distill it into further messages which hopefully will be of interest and value to you. Our body is indeed an awesome gift with incredible capabilities – we just need to learn to drive it.
Let me know your thoughts on these types of posts and whether (or not) this stuff interests you.
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Our body and minds are stronger and more complexed than most people think. We are capable of much more. People place too many limits on what they can do. Learning to believe in yourself and your abilities is a hard job that never ends. Although, it does get easier with time. You need to start pushing yourself. Attempting things that are just outside your ability.
Traditional Chinese medicine is largely based on the idea that the body is a kind of universe with a number of interconnected systems, and that those systems usually work in balance to maintain the healthy function of the human body.
Hi from Netherlands Craig. Cannot remember how I found you but am loving your writing style.
Doetje
Finally a post I feel like I can comment on. One of favourite videos on belief by Anthony Robbins:
The Power of Belief
Great post! That’s right. Belief is an extremely powerful driving force. If you believe in something completely it will happen.
Hello Craig. As a practitioner of Reiki, I can tell you that Reiki does not actually “heal” anyone. It is a conduit for focusing a life force energy that has been recognized by humans for thousands of years.
MRC
Brilliant post, DEFINATELY the type of thing I am interested in. Things like this that are considered fact excite me alittle. Although I love a bit of interpretive theory too.
Of course, is this REALLY science or is it just said to be because it makes us believe which makes us heal… which i suppose in turn WOULD make it science… mind boggling!
Maybe some examples of how this can work consistently, or perhaps case study’s of amazing recovery’s, along with everyday examples may provide a nice extension to the post
xxx ()
I think it has to do with our perception of physical reality : when a force is applied, we expect a result. If none is produced, our body makes it up because it is against rules.
Craig,
It’s fascinating stuff craig! keep it up……..ammo for my brain. Love it!
I would have never survived cancer without believing I could do it. I spent alot of time visualizing my body healing. I tried hard to maintain a positive attitude. I read inspirational books. I watched funny shows (laughter being great medicine). I focused on the positive. It was a life changing experience to say the least. I experienced alot of personal growth. It was a painful, stressful, embarrassing, very scary thing to go through, but I would do it all again for what I gained out of the experience. I am a better person for it.
Hi, Mr. Craig! Thank you so much! This has indeed played a major part in my journey in this period of time. I’ve recently began yoga and, of course, it has so much to do with putting your mind into it and putting the body to use… So I really do appreciate this email especially!!
Hi, I for one really believe this. I get very stubburn when it comes to medications. I have to agree it all depends greatly upon what we believe. Our minds are very powerful. Thankyou
I read somewhere that name-brand over the counter medication is more effective than generic brands simply because we believe they are better. The ingredients are the same.
Training our thoughts takes a lot of work! Sometimes it’s just easier to give in to the cold or flu, and rest a couple of days rather than spend the energy to “will” myself better…
Craig,
You are so brillant. You never cease to amaze me!
Thanks Craig. My mother in law, who lives with us is dying from cancer. She was recently told that she had less than 12 months left on this planet. Almost immediately she became more tired, more sick…. Its like the sentence was read and she accepted it. We’ve been trying to talk to her about the power of belief and that she doesn’t need to just lie down because the medical profession has said so. I’ve printed out your post and will give it to her to read.
Thanks Craig. I don’t know how you do it, but your timing, as always is impeccable. xox
I am definitely interested in this subject.. please keep writing about it. I would love to learn more.
I’m constantly amazed by the body. That’s why I’m so grateful to be in a place in my life where I respect and take care of my body.
Awesome Craig.
Hi,
yes this absolutely interests me! I know that this is true to a certain belief as when I was aged 20 I was told I would have to take steroids the rest of my life, for my kidneys! Now being a vain 20 year old and knowing this would mean weight gain I decided NO WAY and when to a natropath I drank Bali water for about two weeks, went back to the Specialist and WOLAH.. no trace! Never had a problem since.
I can also think of various ‘situtions’ in my life whereby I have decided I wouldnt tolerate that anymore and I was worth more and it has been like a miraculous shift of events to change my entire environment… believing I can get better at this!
Cheers Kate
[...] The Most Powerful Drug: Belief [...]
Two things;
“Of course, it’s hard to believe in a concept like self-healing because, with our current level of knowledge and understanding of how things work, it doesn’t make sense. Just ask the experts; they’ll tell you. And in order to believe, most of us need things to make sense.”
Agree totally Craig. But as I was told by two friends of mine and a couple of out there people, it is what I believe. That might come across as being i’m right but it is not. I mean, for example, people want evidence of life after death. I might belief it is there but an expert would put a gun to my head and I would beg to live. Things like give great weight to the I have to see it to believe it concept. But it is up to me to believe what I want to and that took a lot of convincing.
Second to Kate. Part of belief is exactly what she says – she states she is worth more. That is true. In my example as my friend told me the other night, I am worth more than the views of others. It is hard to move away from people I thought were my friends and I enjoyed time with, but they criticised me and I felt bad, so I did it. It took a huge leap but as Kate says I was not going to tolerate their negative views.
So beliefs can change situations but I believe it is up to the individual to decide what they should be.
[...] The Most Powerful Drug: Belief [...]
Hi Craig
Yes very interesting. Check out this book Cancer can be cured by Father Romano Zago for the simple recipe that poor Brazilians have been using for hundreds of years to cure and prevent cancer and other ailments.
Hi Craig
I absolutely loved, loved, loved, everything about today post.
I totally believe in the placebo effect and have experienced first hand through my mum and dad. I mum is a model patient for the prescription writing GP’s….she takes EVERYTHING she is prescribed. Her breakfast consists of 10 tablets on 2 pieces of toast (I’m not kidding)…She eats exactly what we eat (healthy individuals) and then hits the drugs, saying that she needs to take them in order to live (in her mind she has convinced herself of this)….on the other hand, my dad had a massive car accident and healed himself without any drugs or physio / theraphy. He believes in massage, as he likes the immediately touch sensation (again he “believes” in massage). He has defied all odds of full recovery in the shortesst possible time. He “believes” walking 1 hour each morning and a very healthy diet is his saviour, not the doctors! He always says the are good for operating on various organs (when required) not body maintenance via prescription drug. So that’s his belief. Mum & dad are always fighting about this ‘belief’…
Interesting….I’m with my dad!
Love your work and the “idea” that you’re the best….as reality may disappoint me, as he always says.
Hi Craig,
magnificent and very educational post. I struggled when I ended up in a burn out situation aprox 3 years and was told that I would always be on medication for stomach issues, have to have an hysterectomy and the weaknesses in my body (and lets not forget the extreme ones emotionally) were things I had to learn to live with and accept.
It hasn’t been easy but If I new what I know now, how powerful my mind was in controlling how much I struggled or suffered, I wouldn’t of suffered soo much.
I had to believe in myself, believing opened doors and brought messages to help me heal. Doctors and specialists can only do a certain amount. My gyno couldn’t believe how I dissolved a cyst on my ovary and how I managed to control my hormones. My stomach is practically back to normal and I barely take any medication.
You need to never depend only on medical doctors and believe that you have the strength to your heal your body.
Natural therapies,books,websites for guidance and inspiration(as yours Craig) andI visualisation guided me through my journey to heal. I still believe today my body will continue to become even stronge, fitter and be happier than I was before my burnout.
Craig I really enjoy these types of posts because for people like me who had lost their path, it helps to have guidance from inspirational people to help one get back on their path of life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Hey Craig !
Yes please… more, more MORE !!!
Four weeks ago my DH woke me at 5am saying “can you listen to my heart… it doesn’t sound right”… he had been experiencing rapid, irregular heartbeats for an hour and a half. I replied “OK, I’m calling an ambulance!” He didn’t think that was necessary. I did. For once, I won. Anyway, he was in hospital for three days and was diagnosed with “an enlarged heart” and given Metoprolol and Flecainide (on top of the Ramipril and Nexium that he’s been on for years. He was told to come back for a stress test in four weeks (tomorrow) and to see the cardiologist two weeks later. In the meantime, his blood pressure and heart rate have dropped way below normal and practically all he does is fall asleep… even sitting at the kitchen table. When anyone enquires as to how he’s doing, he tells them “oh, it’s just old age… suppose we just have to put up with it” !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bloody hell… the man just turned 63 !!!!!! We’re all booked to go to the US for three weeks in May, doing Niagara Falls, NYC, Memphis, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, San Francisco and LA…. and here he sits saying “I might not be well enough to go”. No… he’s right… he might not. I just may strangle him in the meantime !!!! Wanna come with me in his place ? I have two tickets to see HAIR on Broadway !!!
{{HUG}}
Tina
Hi Craig,
I just wanted to add to my post ,because people become overhelmed or cannot cope when they are faced with a crisis or health issues they don’t have the energy or strength to put into believing (emotionally)that things can be different. Things can get better. This happened to me.
So physcially, always a believer in natural therapies I always believed there were other options in treatments or medication. But emotionally I didn’t cope and I fell apart. I didn’t have the energy to believe in myself emotionally if I would be able to cope.
I think thats where alot of people like myself need the emotional support to have the energy to believe in ourselves that we can cope.
Even though we are witness to some of the most amazing advancements in modern medicine, a lot of people like me still believe God heals us if we believe in him.
[...] The Most Powerful Drug: Belief [...]
Great post Craig.
Our minds play a massive role on the functioning of our body. I beleive positive thinking can fight many illnesses.
Might have to read that book looks interesting!
[...] The Most Powerful Drug: Belief [...]
Hi Craig,
Excellent post.
I for one am a big believer in the power of belief and our ability to heal ourselves.
Please write more articles like this
Joanna
[...] The Most Powerful Drug: Belief [...]
Just a note to say I appreciate the content on self healing and the power of the mind. I’m a believer.
Absolutely love this post! It’s a concept that takes awhile for your mind to get around it but once u start trying it in your life u see it happening for yourself.
Love it! Thanks Craig
That was very deep in belief, but I liked it. Beliefs are so powerful, both in our bodies, and in our behaviors. I like that you mentioned we are capable of modifying our physical state through our thoughts.
I see so many people who are ‘stressed’ out about life and will share this article with them in hopes they will see a change is possible.
Hi Craig,
I completely agree that our beliefs are extremely powerful. I think most people are just starting to realize this.
I started to make the connection after I watched the movie “The Secret” three years ago. Since then, I have noticed that what happens in my life and in other people’s lives is a reflection of their thoughts and feelings.
For example, people who have bad luck are usually negative thinkers. And people who have good luck are usually positive thinkers.
Perhaps one reason why some people might resist believing in the power of our thoughts is that you then become responsible for your entire life. And not everybody wants this responsibility.
I’ve just started to realize over the past few months that EVERYTHING that happens in my life is a result of my thoughts. That’s pretty amazing when you really think about it.
The good part is that I know I have the ability to change things for the better. And that is why I have started to pay very close attention to my thoughts and feelings to make sure I am on the right track.
Morning Craig,
I have also delved into the mind – body connection over my personal development journey. I stumbled across the very interesting area of Neuro semantic NLP which studied and offered ways to manipulate language to change results. Personally I found it to be useful although my challenges were on the emotional struggle level. This was of course leading me to use negative language and while changing language was useful, the underlying emotional damage continued to pervade my results. The thing is a few years ago I decided that I was not ok. I had experienced tragedy and things in life not going according to plan and instead of shaking them off, which is very difficult to do with grief, I assumed the victim identity and proceeded to scream in every way possible that I was not ok. This emotional focus soon incorporated my body as I started to feel sick, all the time, no energy, depressed and any time I tried to get fit, I would feel the pain more deeply, fall victim to injury, and imagine all sorts of disabilities. My body was playing out my role of “I’m not ok.” Being aware of this now, I can see clearly how much I created my own misery over the last 5 years. I’m now working with a counsellor to work through my emotions because the mind – body connection is so very important. I am also looking into Yoga as a way to reconnect with my body and help my body to heal my mind. Very interesting thoughts you share Craig and I am grateful that you delve into all areas in your journey to personal development because it takes a brave person to look around at life and admit we may not making the most of our collective intelligence. Keep in coming, and I’ll share whatever insights I gain over my journey
Really enjoyed this post and would love to read more of them.
If you want to explore this topic some more – I really think you should read Ada Lampert’s books, especially “The Naked Soul”
Terrific work! This is the type of information that should be shared around the web. Shame on the search engines for not positioning this post higher!
I appreciate your efforts for the life lessons you are impacting on people. There can be no greater calling than this. Am 30-year old with only a B .Tech in Computer Science and a strong desire to live my dreams. Am determine to explore this technique using by the mountaineous indians to change my life. Hope to learn more on your exploits too Craig.
Hi Craig,
This is awesome. I was just at Esalen, one of the most wonderful institutes in the world for mind-body healing. It is also an incredibly beautiful place on the coast of Big Sur.
I was thinking while I was there about healing the body. There are so many strict disciplines and methodologies about what we should and shouldn’t eat and on and on…
My thought was I’d rather romance my body into healing than discipline it into healing! I mean by that, I want to appreciate my body and help it be happy. Befriend it, if you will.
I’ve always been fascinated by the placebo effect.
During my time, it has gone from being viewed as something you want to eliminate in research to something revelatory about we humans – the potential we have to heal ourselves.
Thank you for exploring this in such depth and giving us all the opportunity to empower ourselves and realize WE have the capacity to heal ourselves. It is not reserved for doctors or shamans.
Warm regards,
Lauren