A nocebo is the exact opposite of a placebo.
In a 1999 article, Japanese researchers tested 57 high school boys for their sensitivity to allergens. The boys filled out questionnaires about past experiences with plants. Apparently in Japan, a lacquer tree causes the same itchy rash as our own poison ivy or poison oak. After the survey, they narrowed down the boys to those who reported having severe reactions to the plants, and then blindfolded them.
They then brushed one arm with leaves from a lacquer tree, but told the boys they were chestnut tree leaves. No reaction. Then they stroked the other arm with chestnut tree leaves but said they were leaves from a lacquer tree. Within minutes their arms began to react, turning red and developing an itchy rash, even though the leaves were actually from the chestnut tree.
In another experiment, asthmatic patients were given a vapor to breathe. They were told the vapor was a chemical irritant or allergen. Almost 50% of the patients experienced breathing problems, with a dozen developing full-blown attacks. They were then “treated” with medicine and recovered immediately. In actuality, both the “irritant” and the “medicine” was nothing more than nebulized saltwater solution.
The examples purely show the power of belief. Only in these cases, the beliefs had the power to harm. But can you really see any difference between the placebo and the nocebo? I can’t - besides the outcome I mean, one being good and the other bad. Both create their effect through the power of belief, nothing more.
One last story clearly illustrates this concept.
A man was working late one Friday night at a train station after the rest of the crew had gone home. He got stuck in one of the refrigerated box cars and could not get the door open. He figured it was close to freezing in there, so he bundled up the best he could with his light jacket and tried to keep warm. As the night dragged on, his muscles started to shiver uncontrollably and parts of his body became numb. He realized that the chances were slim that anyone would return over the weekend, so he did everything he could to keep warm and stay busy. He eventually began to lose hope and decided to chronicle his experience on the side of a cardboard box. He detailed the whole thing from the beginning. Near the end of his message, his handwriting became nearly illegible as he wrote his final farewell to family and friends. He was found dead the following Monday by the morning crew. The cause of death was determined to be hypothermia.
What’s interesting is, the investigation revealed that the refrigeration unit in the boxcar he was in was actually not working. The temperature in that car reached a low of about 65 degrees. It was chilly but nowhere near freezing. He had killed himself with his own thoughts.
As I read over this before publishing, I can only think of one other phenomena that has this kind of power in the body. Can you guess what it is? I’ll save the answer for a later post. Until then, keep this famous quote in mind:
According to your faith be it unto you - Matthew 9:29
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