Cure: A Journey into the Science of Mind Over Body

by Jo Marchant

A rigorous, skeptical, deeply reported look at the new science behind the mind's surprising ability to heal the body

Have you ever felt a surge of adrenaline after narrowly avoiding an accident? Salivated at the sight (or thought) of a sour lemon? Felt turned on just from hearing your partner's voice? If so, then you've experienced how dramatically the workings of your mind can affect your body.

Yet while we accept that stress or anxiety can damage our health, the idea of "healing thoughts" was long ago hijacked by New Age gurus and spiritual healers. Recently, however, serious scientists from a range of fields have been uncovering evidence that our thoughts, emotions and beliefs can ease pain, heal wounds, fend off infection and heart disease and even slow the progression of AIDS and some cancers.

In Cure, award-winning science writer Jo Marchant travels the world to meet the physicians, patients and researchers on the cutting edge of this new world of medicine. We learn how meditation protects against depression and dementia, how social connections increase life expectancy and how patients who feel cared for recover from surgery faster. We meet Iraq war veterans who are using a virtual arctic world to treat their burns and children whose ADHD is kept under control with half the normal dose of medication. We watch as a transplant patient uses the smell of lavender to calm his hostile immune system and an Olympic runner shaves vital seconds off his time through mind-power alone.

Drawing on the very latest research, Marchant explores the vast potential of the mind's ability to heal, lays out its limitations and explains how we can make use of the findings in our own lives. With clarity and compassion, Cure points the way towards a system of medicine that treats us not simply as bodies but as human beings.


From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Health, Psychology, Medicine, Medical, Self Help

320 pages, ebook

First published January 19, 2016

About the author

Dr Jo Marchant is an award-winning science journalist based in London. She has a PhD in genetics and medical microbiology from St Bartholomew’s Hospital Medical College in London, and an MSc in Science Communication (with a dissertation in evidence-based medicine) from Imperial College London. She has worked as an editor at New Scientist and at Nature, and her articles have appeared in publications including The Guardian, Wired UK, The Observer Review, New Scientist and Nature. Her radio and TV appearances include BBC Radio 4’s Start the Week and Today programmes, CNN and National Geographic. She has lectured around the world. Her book Decoding the Heavens was shortlisted for the 2009 Royal Society Prize for Science Books.

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Nearly 4.5) In this absorbing and well-written work of popular science, Marchant, a journalist with a PhD in genetics and medical microbiology, investigates instances where the mind seems to contribute to medical improvement: the use of placebos in transplant recipients, hypnosis for IBS patients, virtual reality to help burn victims manage pain, and the remarkable differences that social connection, a sense of purpose, meditation and empathic conversation all make. On the other hand, she shows how stress and trauma in early life can set (usually poor) people up for ill health in later years. She also travels everywhere from Boston to Lourdes to meet patients and medical practitioners, and even occasionally proffers herself as a guinea pig.

A relentless scientist, Marchant is skeptical of any claims for which there is no hard evidence, so when she acknowledges that there’s something to these unusual treatments, you know you can believe her. As Jeremy Howick of the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, Oxford puts it, “I think it’s more important to know that something works, than how it works.” I finished the book feeling intrigued and hopeful about what this might all mean for the future of medicine. The problem, though, is that most medical trials are funded by big pharmaceutical companies, which won’t be supportive of non-traditional methods or holistic approaches.

(Compare with It’s All in Your Head: Stories from the Frontline of Psychosomatic Illness by Suzanne O'Sullivan - reviewed alongside this book on my blog, Bookish Beck.)

[Melora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating stuff! Marchant reminds us at every turn that more research is needed to confirm the effectiveness of many of the brain related health benefits she talks about, but still... so intriguing!

Marchant, a writer of popular science with respectable science-y credentials (PhD in genetics and medical microbiology, according to her website), presents this exploration of some of the current research and trials into ways that alternative medicine is trying to assist or replace conventional medicine in treating various health problems. Despite having read fairly recently some other books which described ways that the brain can alter perceptions of reality and physical systems in the body, I am generally skeptical about the power of things like hypnosis, meditation, and mindfulness to cure physical ailments (things like that seem more plausible to me as remedies for depression and stress). This is pretty much the attitude Marchant conveys at the book's opening also, which inclined me to feel comfortable in joining her on a tour of mind-focused health remedies.

She begins with a story of chatting with another mom at a park during an outing with her kids, and of her dismay at this intelligent woman's reliance on homeopathic remedies. Homeopathy, she tells us, is based on the idea that the most minimal traces of an “active substance” can effect a cure. “My new friend looked at me scornfully. “Nothing measurable,” she replied, as if I were slightly dim for not grasping that its healing properties are due to an indefinable essence that's beyond scientists' reach. And in those two words, I felt that she summed up one of the major philosophical battles in medicine today.”

The book has two main parts, divided roughly as Marchant says,

“In writing this book, I traveled around the world to investigate some of the pioneering research that's happening in this area right now. My aim was to track down those scientists swimming against mainstream opinion to study the effects of the mind on the body, and using that knowledge to help patients. What can the mind really do? How does it work, and why? And how can we use those latest findings in our own lives?
We start with perhaps the purest example of mind's influence on the body – the placebo effect – and the scientists looking at what really happens when we take fake pills. After that we explore some astonishing ways to trick the mind into fighting disease, from using hypnosis to slow gut contractions, to training the immune system to respond to taste and smell. And we learn how simply hearing the right words from your caregiver can determine whether or not you need surgery – and even how long you live.
The second half of the book moves beyond the immediate effects of thoughts and beliefs to look at how our state of mind shapes disease risk throughout our lives. We visit scientists using brain scanning and DNA analysis to test whether mind-body therapies from meditation to biofeedback really make us healthier. And we look at how our perception of the world around us influences our physical makeup, right down to the activity of our genes.”

I found the first chapter, on the placebo effect, a fascinating introduction to the subject. Marchant describes some patients who were “cured” of their problems after being treated with fake medicines or surgeries. Rather than writing this off as merely wishful thinking on the part of the subjects, however, we learn that as a result of expectations, the patients' brains released chemicals in the same way they would have if treated by conventional means. We see this, for example, in the case of a Parkinson's patient who, brain scans demonstrate, gets the same improvement in the response of her motor neurons from her placebo that she does from the drug used in her treatment. “Benedetti (an Italian neuroscientist) has chased a belief right down to an individual cell – demonstrating that in Parkinson's patients, motor neurons fire more slowly after injection of a placebo, exactly as they do in response to a real drug.”

Marchant continues through various mind-related treatments, always presenting her material in a lively, engaging, nontechnical way which the common reader should find easy to follow. I was reminded of Oliver Sacks, Sam Kean, Bill Bryson, and others who have the wonderful gift of presenting the work of specialists and cases of subjects they describe in such a clear and interesting way that the nonspecialist reader feels that highly technical subjects are really quite understandable after all. Details of nervous system and immune system function all fit together nicely, as presented, and I felt (very briefly) quite at home with things like the amygdala and the parasympathetic nervous system.

She notes where study sizes are too small for results to be meaningful, and also instances where other specialists in the field involved offer particular objections to an alternative treatment. She also comments on where evidence of the effectiveness of an alternative medical treatment is strong, but where the medical system fails to pay attention, often due in large part to opposition by the powerful interests of drug and medical technology companies.

Marchant concludes with a call for greater openness to treatments which harness the power of the mind to heal the body. Without discounting the amazing advances of modern drugs and surgical techniques, she advocates an approach which also recognizes the importance of human relationships and support.

”I am not advocating relying solely on the mind to heal us; but denying its role in medicine surely isn't the answer either. My hope, then, is that this book might help to overcome some of the prejudice against mind-body approaches, and to raise awareness that taking account of the mind in health is actually a more scientific and evidence-based approach than relying ever more heavily on physical interventions and drugs.
Perhaps one day this realization might help lead towards a system of medicine that combines the best of both worlds: one that uses life-saving drugs and technologies when they are needed, but also supports us to reduce our risk of disease and to manage our own symptoms when we are ill; and when there is no cure, cares for us and allows us to die with dignity. I hope that such a system of medicine would respect patients as equal participants whose beliefs, experiences, and preferences matter in their care; and that it would no longer stigmatize those with unexplained symptoms; and that it would recognize that the vast majority of health problems we face aren't physical or psychological – they are both.”

I received this book from LibraryThing through their Early Reviewers program with the understanding that the content of my review would not affect my likelihood of receiving books through the program in the future. Many thanks to Crown Publishers and LibraryThing!

[Text Publishing · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you think this book is going to be full of wellness guff then think again! Cure is a balanced and relatable feat of science journalism. Once we started reading we couldn’t put it down.

Jo Marchant goes to the forefront of mind-body medical research and uncovers case studies that offer an impressive insight into the relationship between the mind and body. The anecdotes Marchant uses to reveal this relationship are fascinating. From virtual reality simulations that ease pain in burn patients, to placebo effects that re-engage autistic children, Cure cuts through the noise to provide a thoughtful, in-depth study.

You don’t need a science major or a medical PhD to enjoy this book. Regardless of your background this is a topic that will interest everyone. As Publishers Weekly said in their STARRED review, Cure is: "A critically needed conceptual bridge for those who are frustrated with pseudoscientific explanations of alternative therapies but intrigued by the mind’s potential power to both cause and treat chronic, stress-related conditions."

Read Marchant’s popular LinkedIn article ‘How to Thrive on Stress’: www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-thrive-str...

Listen to an interview on NPR: www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/201...

[Cheenu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think modern medicine's dualism approach is its weak spot and it is extremely dismissive of the mind-body connection, hand waving it away as the "placebo effect".

This book is a good summary of research into how powerful the mind-body connection can be.

However, the author does seem to have a slight confirmation bias. Consequently, she does seem to oversell some therapies that are based on preliminary research.

To be fair, none of them are invasive therapies and therefore, do no harm. So, it could be worthwhile to try them.

Her confirmation bias also seems to prevent her from giving a balanced overview of some of the more controversial research that is cited in the book.

For example, I found some critiques of the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) study in Chapter 4 but she doesn't address these in the book.

(I haven't looked up every study cited in the book, but I suspect I'll find similar critiques of others).

But still, I would recommend this book. The author writes very well with an engaging style. The last chapter is actually quite beautiful and relatable.

Just keep in mind (heh!) when reading that everything covered in the book is based on an extremely preliminary area of research.

My notes (Google Doc link)

[Barbara (The Bibliophage) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars.

My reasons for wanting to read this book are likely atypical. I grew up in household that eschewed medical care and relied entirely on prayer for healing. Since leaving that environment in my 20s, I've wondered how intelligent people like my parents can feel that this belief or practice healed them. Reading Cure helped me find some answers, and perhaps the information it discusses will help you. Although I suspect your reasons for reading are different.

Author Jo Marchant reviews a wide variety of mind-body techniques, such as hypnotherapy, meditation, placebo and nocebo effects, virtual reality, bioelectronics, and religious pilgrimages. In each case she interviews experts and researchers who are trying to prove or disprove the way their chosen techniques impacts our bodies, our health, and our longevity.

Thankfully, she tells patient stories to bring the research-heavy text a human element. Marchant takes a potentially dry subject and infuses it with warmth and humor. She genuinely wants to understand the connection between mind and body. And the conclusions she draws help show how people living with chronic illness, pain, and even life-threatening conditions can benefit from mind-body or holistic approaches along with medical care.

She says in her acknowledgements, "I started this book fascinated by the science of how our minds might influence our bodies, but speaking to patients and trial volunteers helped me to realize that, beyond its intellectual importance, this subject has profound practical consequences for our health and how we all live our lives."

For the first time, I have some solid data-driven conclusions about why and how a group of people could believe in faith healing. This made the book well worth my time!

[India M. Clamp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novel perspective on "Making it better. She cures likes "kissing/hugging it better" to hypnosis, distraction and placebos to fully tap the mind for the cure that is found within. Some illnesses cause alarm to physicians; and there are patients immune to medicine. For those "enigmatic" cases in which nothing traditional works, patients may have to face the hostility from physicians.

Some phrases to release or discredit a bad physicians outcomes are: “it’s all in your head”, “you’re imagining it”, “your symptoms aren’t real.” This patients is popping tramadol(narcotic painkiller) usually prescribed to those recovering from surgery. Then let's meet gabapentin – a drug originally licensed for epilepsy, then relicensed for pain.

"Benedetti sees placebo effects in all aspects of life, from music to sex. He explains that if he gives e a glass of wine and tells me how good it is, that will affect how it tastes to me."
---Jo Marchant

Marchantsis masterful of the ways that substantive implications of language, meaning and culture determine how people experience illness. And how these experiences determine responses to technical medicine, ritual, placebos and caregiving. She paints the story in colorful strokes witnessing the power of compassionate care and how it helped to relieve her pain in childbirth.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

“…in many situations, we have the capacity to influence our own health, by harnessing the power of the (conscious and unconscious) mind”

Cure: A Journey into the Science of Mind Over Body is the third book by British scientist, science journalist and editor, Jo Marchant. In it, she looks at many different, often “alternative” therapies and examines the claims they make in a rational and thoughtful manner. Many of the results are not just unexpected, but frequently quite astounding. If Text had offered a “be surprised or your money back” guarantee on this one, it would have been a safe bet for them.

Quoting actual trials and real patients, Marchant reveals some stunning facts about placebos, looks at how to train the immune system, fighting fatigue, hypnotherapy for a myriad of ailments, and pain therapy of quite a different nature (will some future pain relief trials be funded by gaming software developers?). Marchant looks at biofeedback, mindfulness, talk therapy, reiki and prayer, and reports amazing results in conditions as diverse as autism, IBS, spinal surgery, ageing, HIV, childbirth third degree burns, autoimmune disease, Parkinson’s and transplant rejection.

She speculates on a different approach to aged care: “What if reshaped care for the elderly not around managing their decline, but harvesting their abilities? We could use that ageing brain to give back to a society that’s in great need…..We don’t know what the message does to a person when they are told ageing is a time of deterioration. If we reframe it, and say ageing is a time to give back to others, it might actually help them age better”

She concludes that “…the vast majority of health problems we face aren’t physical or psychological – they are both”. She also tells us “At the heart of almost all the pathways I’ve learned about is one guiding principle: if we feel safe, cared for and in control – in a critical moment during injury or disease, or generally throughout our lives – we do better. We feel less pain, less fatigue, less sickness. Our immune system works with us instead of against us. Our bodies ease off on emergency defences and can focus on repair and growth”.

All the information that Marchant conveys may be readily available, but her talent, no doubt a product of her career in both science and journalism, is to compile and present it in an easily understandable form for readers without scientific expertise. Readers will find themselves looking at how they can apply these discoveries to their own lives and the lives of those they care about, not just for treatment of illness, but for ways to improve their quality of life now and in the future. An absolutely fascinating read.

[Joy D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Non-fiction in which Jo Marchant takes a scientific approach to recounting the latest research on the mind-body connection. She undertook this effort to find out the latest on what the mind can and cannot do to assist in achievement of overall better health and quality of life. Topics include the placebo effect, mindfulness meditation, the immune system, virtual reality, pain management, social connection, kindness in caregiving, stress, aging, depression, hypnosis, electrical impulses, and much more.

A self-professed skeptic and advocate for the scientific method, she systematically explores each topic and examines results of recent research. She brings a human component to these findings by providing case studies of people currently going through treatment. For the most part, these are people she has met, and she tells their stories in an empathetic way. The scientific jargon is kept to a minimum, and the concepts are explained in a straightforward manner. She is careful to cite areas where more research is needed, and documents dissenting opinions. Unfortunately, the pharmaceutical companies, which sponsor a vast amount of current research, are not motivated to spend money to support experiments that may reduce the need for their products.

In the author’s words:
”I am not advocating relying solely on the mind to heal us; but denying its role in medicine surely isn't the answer either. My hope, then, is that this book might help to overcome some of the prejudice against mind-body approaches, and to raise awareness that taking account of the mind in health is actually a more scientific and evidence-based approach than relying ever more heavily on physical interventions and drugs.”

Recommended to those interested in health and brain-related science. Those with current health issues may discover some helpful coping strategies.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

The field of alternative medicine is plagued with claims that can be as misleading as they are lethal. In Simon Singh’s book, Trick or Treatment, he covers aa number of the alternative medicines with a solid scientific rebuttal of those that fail to live up to expectations. But is there something going on that science is beginning to uncover? In this book Marchant considers the latest scientific research into the effect that our minds can have over our bodies, with solid evidence of the effects of positive thoughts and mindsets.

In the book she considers some fairly fundamental questions; the way our minds work, the almost magical effect of placebo, the management of pain and how the act of caring for someone can be transformative. There are chapters on training your immune system and the power of friendships. All of these things, when used in conjunction with a sympathetic doctor and the appropriate course of drugs can have an amazing effect compared to just regular treatments. Alternative medicine has lots of flaws, but what it does do well is to spend time with and care about the patient, something that conventional appointments with their rushed 10 minute slots and almost guaranteed prescription at the end of the consultation seems to have now lost. Throughout the book she meets with the scientists, doctors and patients who are at the leading edge of this research, bringing us their perspectives and trying to articulate why they think that it is working.

When reading this it did bring to mind Pratchett’s headology, the way that people see themselves and the world around them. But this is about real lives and people who are being treated with regular medicines, but who are fortunate to have doctors who are considering the whole individual at the same time. Marchant writes this with sparkling clarity and authority, and thankfully rarely dips into obscure medical jargon. It made for very interesting reading too, with some well written examples of those that have been healed or had their lives return to something closer to normal. Based on the research here, we need to consider both mind and body treatments not just a blind acceptance of the newest drugs. All very interesting stuff and much food for thought.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most books about the mind-body connection seem to be wildly leaning one way or the other: it's nonsense or it's gospel. Cure by Jo Marchant is different. Marchant cautiously approaches each claim in a deeply scientific way, remaining both open and skeptical to results.

I loved this read and I highly recommend it. It's a readable book, with both stories and science, to investigate all the many ways mind and body are connected. If you have interest in this topic, without permanently aligning yourself to one end of the spectrum or the other, I think you will find this book to be fascinating.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marchant, a science writer with a PhD in genetics and microbiology, delves deep into the mind-body connection in her 2016 book Cure. For someone new to this field of study, it is a great place to start, as the book is more of a survey map of several types of therapies that incorporate mind and body. She props the text with many well-known and referenced works in medicine and psychology. If you have read in this field, you'll find some review here, but with some intriguing case studies and stories of new research.

The book shines when discussing the science around the placebo effect, the importance of human connection and interaction, visualizations and technology's role in healing, and the science of the vagus nerve and its regulation role in the body.


3.5 rounded to 4 stars

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five big, fat, shiny stars. But this book deserves a good review, so I will take some more time and write it tomorrow. Right now, I am still in the process of mourning the fact that it came to the end so soon...
And here is my complete review.
Quite frankly, I am not sure I will be able to write something that makes justice to the quality of this book, which is among the best non-fiction I’ve read lately.
The book deals with a controversial issue, the influence of human mind over physical condition, and describes the cutting-edge research currently ongoing in this area. I like the skepticism of the author, who has a scientific background herself (a BSc in genetics and a PhD in microbiology), having later become a science writer. I think some of the main reasons why I liked this book so much were the fact that the theme is so interesting and yet controversial, and the research being done in new, still ongoing. I liked to have access to information contained in the book (some of it left me dumbfounded) and I really liked the way it is presented, in the form of case studies, narrated as patient’s stories, paired with interviews with scientists and doctors, citations from scientific papers and the author’s own experience. In addition, she makes a point of always presenting the opposing points of view and the arguments for and against the idea, hypothesis, or experiment in question. And yet, this thought-provoking book, packed with so much information and written with scientific accurateness, reads just like a novel...
I was going to finish by saying that I recommend this book to everyone with an interest in science in general and in health in particular, but in fact I think this is a book that I would recommend to everyone that likes o read non-fiction. Really, just go get it and read it!

[Doris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciated this book for presenting a well-researched and balanced perspective on the importance of taking care of the mind- through maintaining a resilient mindset, social support, and compassion- in the maintenance of wellbeing.

In short, the mind & body comes together and works together in cultivating total health. Jo Marchant has presented this idea clearly with very compelling information.

[Camelia Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cure: A Journey into the Science of Mind Over Body, is a book about the mind-body question, i.e. our mind's power to influence our body. However, if you are looking for "scientific proof" of religion, this is NOT a book for you. Jo Marchant's approach is very scientific. She is skeptical but also open-minded, which is what I think is the right attitude towards this controversial topic.

This book covers several topics. The first several chapters focus on the placebo and nocebo effect (the opposite of placebo effect). I have always been fascinated by the placebo effect. Modern medical science tends to see it as a distraction rather than something useful. Jo Marchant’s book is eye opening. The placebo effect can trigger our body to release our own natural painkiller and mood booster. It will not regrow a leg or kill the cancer, but it can reduce pain and improve the quality of life.

The book also talks about hypnosis. Apparently there is evidence especially in treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The discussion about using Virtual Reality to help patients relax and reduce pain is interesting. Perhaps it's time for gaming companies to dive into the healthcare market.

There are chapters about the mind's influence on the immune system through the nerve system. Of course, meditation is discussed in the book, especially using meditation to fight stress and depression. As a beginner meditator, I have read several meditation books, so this part is nothing new to me.

The chapters about compassionate caregiving and the value of social ties are good reading too. Modernisation is a double sided sword indeed.

I am not surprised that pharmaceutical companies are reluctant to invest in placebo or hypnosis, because these would not bring them profit. Government should interfere - smaller drug dosage means less medical spending and better healthcare.

The last chapter talks about religion. Whether believing in God helps someone to cope with sickness depends on many things, one is what you believe - is God a saver or punisher? When it helps, it is because "feeling part of something bigger may help us not only to deal with life’s daily hassles but to defuse our deepest source of angst: knowledge of our own mortality". However, this is not the same as the evidence of God. It does not have to be God - "As individuals, rather than putting our faith in mystical rituals and practices, the science described in this book shows that in many situations, we have the capacity to influence our own health, by harnessing the power of the (conscious and unconscious) mind."

[Rebecka · Rating 3 out of 5]

The content of this book is very, very interesting, but both the author and the audio book narrator ruin the book, the author by ridiculous descriptions of the people she uses to make a point (who all have "delicate features", "beautiful brown eyes" etc. -- WHO CARES!?) and the audio book narrator by imitating the accent or dialect of EVERY SINGLE PERSON WITH A DIRECT LINE. As a result I can't help hating the author for having so many direct lines in her book as well.

What happened to scientific books? Why are they all so full of fluff? Because they could really have been summed up in a 25 page article? Probably.

Still, a very interesting read.

[Eirini D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ένα βιβλίο που πρέπει να διαβαστεί απ' όλους και κυρίως τους επαγγελματίες της υγείας, στους οποίους δίνει τη δυνατότητα να ξανά-σκεφθούν τον τρόπο που αντιμετωπίζουν τους ασθενείς τους, για παράδειγμα, σαν ακτινογραφίες και αποτελέσματα ιατρικών εξετάσεων μόνο ή σαν άτομα με συναισθήματα και με αντίληψη, με σκέψεις και τρόπο ζωής που τους οδήγησαν πολλές φορές στην ασθένεια. Η συγγραφέας χρησιμοποιώντας αναρίθμητες επιστημονικές μελέτες και έρευνες έγκριτων ερευνητικών ιατρικών οργανισμών και πανεπιστημίων σε Ευρώπη και ΗΠΑ, (αναφέρει αναλυτικά τα στοιχεία καθεμιάς), καθώς και πραγματικά παραδείγματα ασθενών, αποδεικνύει περίτρανα ότι ο ανθρώπινος εγκέφαλος, το μυαλό μας κοινώς, μπορεί να παίξει σημαντικό ρόλο είτε στην ανακούφιση από το πόνο είτε στη βελτίωση της ποιότητας της ζωής ατόμων με χρόνιες και επίπονες ασθένειες, μειώνοντας έτσι την ποσότητα των φαρμάκων που λαμβάνουν και κάποιες φορές πολύπλοκων ιατρικών επεμβάσεων.

Δυστυχώς, όπως παραδέχεται η συγγραφέας αυτή η αντιμετώπιση των ασθενειών δεν φέρνει κέρδος στις φαρμακοβιομηχανίες και είναι ένας από τους λόγους που δεν υπάρχει σταθερή και σημαντική χρηματοδότηση των ερευνών που προσπαθούν να ρίξουν φως στους τρόπους που το μυαλό συμβάλλει στην θεραπεία ασθενειών. Πραγματικά, ένα βιβλίο που αξίζει να το διαβάσετε.

[Jason Pettus · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally.)

As a middle-aged guy with barely any health insurance and who is officially now pushing 50, I find myself more and more interested in lively NPR-style nonfiction guides to taking your health into your own hands; and that subject doesn't get much more dramatic than Jo Marchant's brand-new Cure, instantly controversial for its main message, that traditional science is starting to more and more prove something that the New Agers have been saying for decades, that your thoughts and attitudes can and do have a direct influence over such physiological, biological traits like your mood, pain levels, even the way your autoimmune system works. Although let's be clear -- the PhD holder Marchant says right in the introduction that New Age BS is still New Age BS, that it's simply impossible to do things like "wish away cancer" or trick a diabetic body into thinking it's getting insulin when it's not, and that the vast majority of new discoveries about this subject have mostly to do with things that the brain and the brain alone controls in our bodies, things like our heartrate and the amount of hormones that get released into our bloodstream, the amount of pain we perceive, even such things like how tired or alert we feel when fighting off the flu.

That said, however, this book is a real revelation, especially mind-blowing because of all of it being based on actual Western-type scientifically rigorous testing going on around the world, showing through lab-based control-tested experiments such things as that placebo pills can often work just as well as "real" medicine in certain cases (even when the patient knows they're taking a placebo), that you can train your body like a Pavlovian dog to get a full effect out of half-doses of medicine, that a 99-cent iPhone app can let regular schmoes regulate things like their heartbeat in a way traditionally reserved for yogis who practice for decades, and that such seemingly innocuous things like meditation and having friends who take care of you when sick have an actual, quantifiable effect on the biological processes that go into recovering from illness. As Marchant says throughout this eye-opening tome, you need to take all of these things with a grain of salt (and in fact this is a big running theme throughout, that all of these findings need much more official studies before we can start taking them for granted, which are nearly impossible to get funded because 95 percent of the medical experiments done in this country are sponsored by drug companies, who have no interest in funding experiments that prove that people need less drugs and not more); but certainly this book has given me a brand-new way to look at the subject of illness and just how much control I actually have over it, an illuminating read that is worth your time regardless of what kinds of conclusions you come to by the end. Strongly recommended to one and all.

Out of 10: 9.3

[Jackie Law · Rating 5 out of 5]

Medical research scientists are required to be rigorous in their investigations but also open minded to the lessons that can be learned, both positive and negative, from the results of clinical trials. Drugs that show early promise may not be as effective when tested over the long term on a wide variety of subjects. Side effects of treatments and surgical interventions can be as harmful as the problems they attempt to resolve.

While doctors may be eager to find more effective treatments, particularly for the growing number of chronic conditions, there are deep seated biases against certain alternatives: homeopathic remedies, mindfulness and meditation, distraction techniques, hypnotism, religious belief. What Cure sets out to do is to look at the trials that have been undertaken around such so called woo woo treatments and scientifically question their efficacy.

The book opens with an investigation into the placebo – pills given to patients that are known to contain no active ingredient, or treatment that has been shown not to work after accounting for the placebo effect in test results. Time and again trials show that many patients’ outcomes improve when given a placebo. The author asks why such a cheap and easy alternative is not offered when it could have clinical value. It is now known that the body is capable of producing its own powerful drugs, e.g. endorphins. The brain is a natural pharmacy.

“If someone takes a placebo and feels their pain melt away, it isn’t trickery, wishful thinking, or all in the mind. It is a physical mechanism, as concrete as the effects of any drug.”

There are important limitations in the placebo as treatment; it is limited to the natural tools that the body has available.

“Placebos are good at influencing how we feel but there’s little evidence that they affect measures we’re not consciously aware of”
“Feeling great isn’t everything. We also want to be kept alive.”

Yet for those who do not feel great, placebos could offer a welcome improvement in the way they live. Certain patient groups, especially those with chronic conditions such as CFS / ME, reject that the mind can have such an important impact as they then feel they are being blamed for their illness. This separation of the mind and the body, and the biases such thinking uncovers, may be one reason why the treatments looked at in this book are often dismissed.

Another reason is the difficulty of obtaining funding for large scale clinical trials. Drugs companies are unlikely to support investigations into treatments that will lead to fewer expensive drugs being administered.

Living with long term stress has been shown to create physiological damage and to rewire the brain.

“people in a threat state take longer to recover to baseline once a task is over […] Over time, the extra strain on the heart can lead to hypertension. And as we’ve seen, repeated activation of cortisol can damage the immune system.”

The author investigates a variety of alternative treatments that attempt to train the body to deal with challenges and decrease the harm caused.

“Just as with physical exercise, if we put our bodies under a manageable amount of stress, then go home and rest, this eventually makes us stronger and more resilient.”

The effects of meditation and mindfulness are studied and compared to the effects of antidepressants. Once again, certain patients enjoy benefits yet many medical practitioners dismiss such treatments as nonsense, the proponents delusional. Prejudices are strong.

One problem with alternative and holistic treatments is the way modern medicine is practiced. In the UK an initial consultation typically involves a ten minute GP appointment with the expectation at the end that there will be a prescription or potential for surgical intervention. There may not be a pill for every ill but there could be minimally invasive and effective treatment if the patient is willing.

Drugs for stress, depression and chronic pain are costly with damaging side effects such as risk of addiction. Trials have shown time and again that mind-body techniques can work better on many. Despite the evidence, stigma remains.

Religion is shown to have a placebo effect although only if compassionate and accepting rather than threatening. A sense of belonging – the importance of community and damage caused by loneliness – are also investigated. There is a beneficial effect on health when a patient feels they are a part of something bigger.

“the prolonged impact of having the opportunity to live your life in a way that you find meaningful”

The author is asking: if an alternative treatment works for a patient then why mock and dismiss it? It is clearly stated that a patient may not simply wish themselves better yet there are ways in which the conscious mind can influence outcomes and deal better with painful situations. There is also the argument that keeping alternative medicine within the NHS allows for regulation and the ability to offer conventional treatments as needed. The potential for harm is acknowledged, such as when proven beneficial medications such as vaccines are withheld for spurious reasons.

Each chapter contains details of a variety of patients’ experiences alongside interviews with clinicians and references to papers and journals in which studies are detailed. Throughout, the writing is warm and accessible, the tone clear and inquiring rather than dogmatic. The reader may decide for themselves if improvements in health are worthwhile even if treatment cannot always be fully, scientifically explained in the traditionally accepted way.

Any Cop?: This is a fascinating approach to a controversial subject. The author offers due diligence and a willingness to look for facts without prejudice. The workings of the mind may not yet be fully understood by doctors but this doesn’t mean it cannot be harnessed for innovative and effective treatments. The book offers a compelling and persuasive contribution to a wider conversation. It may change the way rational and informed readers view alternative medicine.

[JDK1962 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of very interesting ideas about how the mind can be leveraged to deal with physical injuries or illness. The early material on the power of placebos--including honest placebos--is especially fascinating. A topic that comes up again and again is how damaging stress is to the physical body, and how growing up in stress can lead to a lifetime of chronic problems. It's a shame that this is an area in which research moves so slowly, due to the lack of funding (not too many drug companies want to sponsor research into a replacement product that doesn't come out of a bottle).

I especially appreciated the skeptical mindset that the author brings to the work. So-called alternative therapies should not be afraid of the scientific method: if things work, they work, and rigorously studying the how and the why is fascinating stuff. It's the snake-oil crowd that fears looking too closely.

[Hoại Băng · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having pretty much knowledge about alternative treatments and the impact of placebo effects, it was quite easy for me to start and appreciate this book.

It's vital to know and understand the mind-body relationship and how the mind can shape people's physical condition (was proved by notorious scientific evidences and experiments). From that, alternative treatments can pass through all the stigmas to come close to the public health setting, provide other ways of healing not only for mental problem but also for physical illness. This is a good beginning to rethink about illness and healing, as well as to have some sense of what contributes to a better health of human. Highly recommend to anyone who in medical field or simply care about health and healing.

[Kostas Hitchens Pap · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ο πολιτικός ισαποστάκιας της επιστήμης.

Η Κυρία αφού μας λέει ότι η ίδια είναι επιστήμονας και είναι υπέρ της ορθολογικής και τεκμηριωμένης ιατρικής στην συνέχεια γράφει ένα βιβλίο όπου μας αναλύει με διάφορα παραδείγματα του κώλου ,ασθενών που θεραπεύτηκαν από διάφορες ασθένειες με το μυαλό τους .

Το πλασέμπο θεραπεύει.

Καλή η συμβατική ιατρική δεν είμαι ψεκασμένη αλλά να, κοιτάξτε πως γίνεται καλά ο κόσμος χωρίς πραγματικές θεραπείες.

Προώθηση των ψευδοεπιστημονικών μπουρδολογιών ,εναλλακτικών θεραπειών, υπνώσεις,ομοιοπαθητική ,βελονισμός κτλ με τον μανδύα του επιστημονικού υποβάθρου.

Ανόητη και επικίνδυνη

[Bayan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much unnecessary info and repetitive ideas.
Enjoyed some chapters.

[Ita · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I had read only the first half of this book, I would have unreservedly recommended it. It is subtitled, ‘A Journey into the Science of Mind Over Body’, but it is more than that. It is also a book about the people involved in the journey – the scientists, the clinicians, but, above all, the patients. Their stories are told with great empathy and compassion.

The journey starts with the placebo and nocebo effects. We learn how powerful the placebo effect can be, but also its limitations. An understanding of it can enable people to be brought off excessive medication, but that understanding is still rare among health professionals, and resources are squandered in health systems. Nocebo effects are even less well known. We still don’t know the harm we may be doing by accompanying medication with long lists of side effects, and by publishing scary health stories in newspapers and on the Internet.

Giving a placebo presents a health professional with an ethical dilemma. Jo Marchand assures us this need not be. An ethical placebo, where the patient knows (s)he is being given an inert medicine, may still have beneficial effects. In a trial involving seventy children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder a placebo was administered along with the effective medication. The active medication was then reduced, while the placebo was continued. Placebo- controlled dose reduction is still in the experimental stage, but promising results have been observed in patients with psoriasis and asthma as well as ADHD.

How we insist that diseases are either biological or psychological, and are unwilling to allow that they can be both, is illustrated by the reaction of a patients’ group, representing people with chronic fatigue syndrome, to a new experimental treatment. The treatment combines graded exercise therapy with cognitive behavioural therapy. It is based on the hypothesis that, if you suffer from CFS, a central governor in your brain has its settings wrong, and is overestimating how fatigued you are. Although the treatment has been shown to be moderately helpful, and better than any existing treatment, it is opposed by a patients’ group, which insists that the disease is biological.

I have no difficulty in accepting hypnosis as an effective treatment for pain relief, even as an anaesthetic, because I once saw a very powerful demonstration. With opioid addictions, and fatal overdoses described as ‘one of the great unfolding tragedies of our time’, I agree that hypnosis as a method of pain control needs to be given very serious consideration.

‘There is tremendous prejudice against hypnosis,’ says Peter Whorwell. He has been using gut-focused hypnotherapy to help patients suffering from the very painful and distressing condition, irritable bowel syndrome. Since 1984, he has been publishing results which show the benefit of hypnotherapy to patients for whom other treatments have failed. A recent audit of a thousand patients showed that 76% had a clinically significant reduction in symptoms. 83% of responders were still well after one-to-five years. 59% were taking no medication. 41% were taking less. 79% were consulting their doctor less often, or not at all. Although NICE now recommends hypnotherapy for IBS where conventional treatments have failed, Whorwell says that he and others involved in the work are still fighting those who fund treatment.

Our brains have a limited capacity for conscious attention, and distraction has long been recognised as a way of dealing with pain. Snow World is a very sophisticated form of distraction being used in Burns Units in the USA. When patients put on their virtual reality goggles and their headphones, they block out all sights and sounds from the outside world, and enter the Ice Canyon where they can fire snowballs with a computer mouse. Snow World consistently cuts pain scores by 35%. When used with pain medication, brain scans of patients show that activity in pain related areas is almost completely extinguished. When hypnotic suggestions are made, while the burns victim is immersed in Snow World, it is possible to extend relief from pain, and to aid recovery in the longer term.

In the first half of the book, which dealt with the application of mind-body research in a health care setting, it was not difficult to see where Jo Marchand’s sympathies lay. However, it was while reading the final chapters, which suggested ways in which research might be used to guide decisions about keeping healthy, that I began to feel slightly uneasy. Although Jo Marchand has a PhD in genetics and medical microbiology, and says she believes passionately in the scientific method, she seemed to be selecting research that agreed with her beliefs, and underplaying that which disagreed. These are very reasonable and widely held beliefs – that stress is damaging to health, that continuity of care and friendship have positive effects, that prayer and belief are beneficial to health. The problem for me was that some of the studies she quoted were preliminary and small. I can’t help being sceptical about studies on the epigenetic effects of social interactions, for example, and I feel she underplayed the harm caused to some people by mindfulness meditation. However this is a book well worth reading, a story of lost opportunities to help those in greatest need, but also with promise for the future.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-reading for bookclub discussion

[Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not exciting to read. I suspect that is because there aren't any tips on how to change the mind for positive benefits, other than the chapter on meditation.

[Paula Vince · Rating 3 out of 5]

I requested this book with a bit of trepidation. The concept that our minds are huge tools in our arsenal against disease has been close to my heart for a long time, but I got the feeling from reading Jo Marchant's bio that she wasn't going to just nod and accept it without a lot of probing around. Still, at least she embarked on her personal quest with an understanding that the mind/body connection shouldn't be shrugged off by the cynical as hogwash. Since it's widely agreed by medical experts that negative mental states such as stress and anxiety have detrimental effects on the body, why not consider the flip side, that positive, happy states can be beneficial? I'll mention her findings which I found most interesting.

1) Marchant came up with evidence that continued stress may accelerate premature aging. Although external problems don't damage our bodies directly, our long term psychological responses to the stressful circumstances can certainly harm us. Marchant's subjects were worn-out mothers who are the primary carers of children with severe intellectual disabilities. Some of the them even noticed effects such as suddenly greying hair.

2) The emotion of fear takes a severe toll on people. Although it's been suggested over the years that positive and negative stress have similar results on the body, Marchant has come to believe that their effects are way different. People with stressful childhood histories react far quicker to stress, and chronically stressed people find that small hassles escalate to full-blown anxiety far faster than others. These are measurable in the way the brain is wired, helping to explain why the effects of early adversity can persist long after others think it should have stopped.

3) My favourite part was Marchant's discussion with the young father Gareth Walker who suffers from M.S. He made a personal discovery that a lifestyle of regular quiet time and living in the moment has helped him halt the process of his disease more than he'd believed possible. The conscious decision to change his thought patterns changed him from a reactive, fear-driven person who dreaded his future to a calmer man who recognises his thoughts as mere background chatter which he doesn't have to buy into. His is a philosophy I admire.

Overall, I can't help wondering if Marchant has walked into her project with a closed mind, even though she tries to be impartial and fair. She says things like, 'I usually try my hardest to avoid religious ceremonies. I get uneasy about the idea of substituting reason and clear understanding for robes, incantations and mysterious higher powers.' She comes across as the sort of person who finds it impossible to accept a miracle on face value without scrabbling around for some measurable way to explain it. Anybody who wants to read this book should be aware that the author never considers the divine as a possible explanation at all. That's just not the sort of person she is.

At the end, I'm left with the same feeling I get after watching current affair documentaries. After waiting for what seems to be advertised as promised breakthroughs, the journalists end up cautiously sitting on the fence, unwilling to commit themselves one way or another. And after all the words in this book, Jo Marchant seems to be doing the same thing. Still, it's interesting to read some of the direct results of her research, in spite of her not wanting to make a firm stand for the mind/body connection.

I think my favourite book which delves into the mind/body connection written by a medical doctor is still The Fear Cure by Dr Lissa Rankin.

Thanks to Crown Publishing and Blogging for Books for giving me a copy through NetGalley.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a culture such as the US, one focused on drugs and surgery to maintain or increase health, Jo Marchant's Cure: A Journey into the Science of Mind Over Body is a breath of fresh air. Marchant described strategies that are more effective, less expensive, and less invasive than those typically used in modern medicine.

Many of the interventions described here will be unsurprising to psychologists. Others are firmly rooted in psychology, but surprising nonetheless. Burn patients using Snow World, a virtual reality environment, had 35% lower pain scores. This worked well for acute interventions (e.g., abrading scar tissue), but pain tended to rise again throughout the day; hypnosis helps patients maintain low levels of pain across time and decrease their need for narcotics. Patients receiving Comfort Talk (just as it sounds) during surgeries required lower levels of sedatives and had fewer complications. Early research suggests that people with transplants can use classically-conditioned placebos to reduce their immunosuppressants safely, receive similar benefits, and avoid the toxicity of these drugs. Palliative care is both less expensive than treatment as usual and extends lifespans.

Why doesn’t the medical system use such interventions more frequently? Marchant repeatedly suggests that one difficulty is that the medical system tends to think dualistically – either mind or body – rather than recognizing the importance of both systems. Patients, also thinking dualistically, feel blamed by interventions focused on the mind ("you're saying I'm crazy, right?"). Further, because pharmaceutical companies cannot profit from treatments like Comfort Talk, they aren’t promoted and obtaining research grants is difficult. One clinician interviewed said that although Comfort Talk has a range of health benefits, she now focuses on its economic benefits rather than health outcomes when talking to hospital administrators: “that’s what [they’re] interested in” (p. 123).

There are many modern-day snake oils that promise cures and which have little research supporting them. Perhaps another explanation for our focus on drugs and surgeries is that many interventions are demonstrated failures, with little to no support. The interventions Marchant describes are guilty by association with these fraudulent treatments. On the other hand, we readily jump at medications – which fit with our view of the world – that we accept with less support than some of the alternative medications have.

One thing that especially interested me about this book is that Marchant has her PhD in microbiology. She approaches alternative medicines with a scientist's mind, and her writing and thinking are smart. As importantly, though, she is willing to see things that counter her biases. Maybe we can too.

[Jamie Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an interesting read. Jo Marchant cautiously examines the relationship between our bodies and our minds, sharing hundreds of fascinating studies that reveal the extent to which our brains affect our health.

Marchant writes:
"I am not advocating relying solely on the mind to heal us; but denying its role in medicine surely isn't the answer either. My hope, then, is that this book might help to overcome some of the prejudice against mind-body approaches, and to raise awareness that taking account of the mind in health is actually a MORE scientific and evidence-based approach than relying ever more heavily on physical interventions and drugs."

I especially enjoyed the sections about the placebo effect (which can have a drastic impact on certain ailments, including chronic pain and IBS), and the section about conditioning (how the brain can learn a response to a treatment, and can later continue the healing effect of the treatment even in its absence -- this sounds crazy, but there are studies supporting it).

My favorite section, however, discusses how the brain interacts with the vagus nerve, which can affect the reaction (and overreaction) of the immune system, leading to a host of symptoms and diseases, from rheumatoid arthritis to chronic fatigue and pain. While pharmaceutical interventions can help to improve some of these issues, there are many times when medications don't help, or else give rise to unbearable side effects. Marchant again provides excellent sources that examine how gentle interventions, such as meditation and even spirituality, can have a significant positive impact on health in quantifiable ways.

Also from the book:
"Terms like 'mind-body' and 'holistic' are often derided as flaky and unscientific, but in fact it's the idea of a mind distinct from the body, an ephemeral entity that floats somewhere in the skull like a spirit or soul, that makes no scientific sense."

This is actually my second time through this book. As before, I greatly admire Marchant's research and her stolid adherence to science.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Medicine that's somewhere between spiritual awakening zodiac acupuncture and the 5 minute physical.
Most medical professionals wouldn't take this seriously because a lot of these studies can't be completed in a double-blind fashion, and tend to have small sample sizes, but I don't think it should be ignored.
Mind-body therapies provide a way to improve patients' quality of life, or subjective well-being, in a way that's safer and cheaper than medicine's default pain pill prescription. The studies mentioned in this book aren't definitive be all end alls. Further studies are needed, but I think medicine will eventually take a turn in this direction (I don't think we can get any more impersonal, even with AI). However, "when" is the question because unfortunately, there isn't a lot of funding, and studying mind-body topics tends to mar a researcher's reputation. But people are out there trying!
Things explored include: the physiological cause of the placebo effect, benefits of hypnosis (approved by the American Medical Association btw), the importance of not being lonely, how the mind influences the immune system, biofeedback, and how religion affects your health (the answer is it depends).
My favorite part was the section on biofeedback and heart rate variability. Something to look into.

[Vannessa Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

secretin a gut hormone that stimulates the pancreas into producing digestive juices (a Dateline program claimed that of 200 children with autism who had been given the hormone, more than half showed a positive response.)

Cure was an interesting read.