Placebo by Dylan Evans
Can we really cure ourselves of disease by the power of thought alone? Faith healers and alternative therapists are convinced that we can, but what does science say?Contrary to public perception, orthodox medical opinion is remarkably confident about the healing powers of the mind. For the past fifty years, doctors have been taught that placebos such as sugar pills and water injections can relieve virtually any kind of medical condition. Yet placebos only work if you believe they work, so the medical confidence in the power of the placebo effect has provided scientific legitimacy to popular claims about the healing power of the mind.
In this intriguing exploration, Dylan Evans exposes the flaws in the scientific research into the placebo effect and reveals the limits of what can and cannot be cured by thought alone. Drawing on new ideas in immunology and evolutionary biology, Evans proposes a new theory about how placebos work, and asks some searching questions about our concepts of health and disease
Dylan Evans is a Research Fellow at King's College London's Department of Philosophy, where he leads a study on the evolution of emotions. He has worked as a filmmaker and a psychotherapist in the past.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780195220544 |
| ISBN 10 | 0195220544 |
| Title | Placebo |
| Author | Dylan Evans |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | OUP India |
| Year published | 2004-04-08 |
| Number of pages | 240 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |