Dr. Alia Crum

What we think is happening is it's essentially the combined effect of three things.

So first is the ability of your body to heal itself with time.

Okay.

Now, this often gets discounted, but I don't think we should discount it, right?

Your body has an incredible, remarkably efficient systems, right?

You have a growth-promoting endocrine system.

You have a adaptive immune system.

You have a regulating nervous system.

And they're all trying to work for you, right?

So those systems in the body, and they heal us from most things we experience in life, even when we're not paying attention.

But those natural systems in the body can be activated by our mindsets, by the belief that you're in good hands, that this condition is managed, that you're going to be okay.

Those beliefs prioritize and prepare the systems to align in your body.

And, you know, the other thing that's important here is it's not, you know, your beliefs don't come out of nowhere, right?

They're shaped by the social context, the words the doctor shares, their bedside manner, the...

label or branding of the drugs, right?

The white coat, the medical credentials, the medical ritual, all of these things can shape our mindsets, which can in turn activate the body's self-healing systems.

Yes.

So that's such a good question because we get, you know, kind of fascinated by placebo effects.

We're like, oh, how cool.

Like you respond by doing nothing.