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Suggestible You: The Curious Science of Your Brain's Ability to Deceive, Transform, and Heal
This riveting narrative explores the world of placebos, hypnosis, false memories, and neurology to reveal the groundbreaking science of our suggestible minds. Could the secrets to personal health lie within our own brains? Journalist Erik Vance explores the surprising ways our expectations and beliefs influence our bodily responses to pain, disease, and everyday events. Drawing on centuries of research and interviews with leading experts in the field, Vance takes us on a fascinating adventure from Harvard’s research labs to a witch doctor’s office in Catemaco, Mexico, to an alternative medicine school near Beijing (often called “China’s Hogwarts”). Vance’s firsthand dispatches will change the way you think—and feel.
Continuing the success of National Geographic’s brain books and rounding out our pop science category, this book shows how expectations, beliefs, and self-deception can actively change our bodies and minds. Vance builds a case for our “internal pharmacy”—the very real chemical reactions our brains produce when we think we are experiencing pain or healing, actual or perceived. Supporting this idea is centuries of placebo research in a range of forms, from sugar pills to shock waves; studies of alternative medicine techniques heralded and condemned in different parts of the world (think crystals and chakras); and most recently, major advances in brain mapping technology. Thanks to this technology, we're learning how we might leverage our suggestibility (or lack thereof) for personalized medicine, and Vance brings us to the front lines of such study.
From the Hardcover edition.
Continuing the success of National Geographic’s brain books and rounding out our pop science category, this book shows how expectations, beliefs, and self-deception can actively change our bodies and minds. Vance builds a case for our “internal pharmacy”—the very real chemical reactions our brains produce when we think we are experiencing pain or healing, actual or perceived. Supporting this idea is centuries of placebo research in a range of forms, from sugar pills to shock waves; studies of alternative medicine techniques heralded and condemned in different parts of the world (think crystals and chakras); and most recently, major advances in brain mapping technology. Thanks to this technology, we're learning how we might leverage our suggestibility (or lack thereof) for personalized medicine, and Vance brings us to the front lines of such study.
From the Hardcover edition.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published November 8, 2016
276 people are currently reading
3145 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews
November 18, 2018
Placebos, nocebos, hypnosis, false memories are discussed and related study conclusions revealed. It's an interesting read for sure, but it left me longing for more actionable strategies. It almost felt like the author said, "Here are some fascinating things that happen in the mind. Cool, huh?" Indeed, they are cool, but how can we use these results to address fear, pain, and generally take advantage of the immense power that we have but can't control? The answer might be that we simply don't have the answer yet.
Recommend with caution.
Recommend with caution.
December 3, 2016
Could the key to future health treatments lie buried within our own brains? Can we trick our minds into healing ourselves, losing weight, or digging up distant memories? In this riveting narrative, acclaimed science journalist Erik Vance explores the surprising power of suggestibility and how our expectations and beliefs can shape our bodily response to pain, disease, and every day events. Drawing on centuries of research, interviews with leading experts and international journeys to the field, this book is a fascinating adventure through the world of placebos, false memories, and hypnosis, revealing the groundbreaking science of our highly suggestible minds. From NIH's research labs to witch doctor's office in Mexico to traditional Chinese medicine school near Beijing, to religious faith healing, Vance embarks on a scientific, cultural, and personal journey to show how our brains can influence our well-being in ways we never imagined. And what he discovers is incredible: the existence of an "internal pharmacy" that produces very real chemical reactions in our brains when we THINK we are experiencing pain or healing. You discover that the brain's ability to "trick" itself- for good or ill- has practical applications for people struggling with chronic pain, Parkinson's, insomnia, depression and a variety of other problems and diseases.
This book was AMAZING! Very interesting read. The author was able to talk about the subject without judging people on what they believed or what their health practice was (as long as it did not put any life in danger). He kept a very open mind and a non-biased look in to the subject. This might be my favorite book that I've read all year. Lots of great brain science and lots of important questions to think on! Love, love, loved it.
This book was AMAZING! Very interesting read. The author was able to talk about the subject without judging people on what they believed or what their health practice was (as long as it did not put any life in danger). He kept a very open mind and a non-biased look in to the subject. This might be my favorite book that I've read all year. Lots of great brain science and lots of important questions to think on! Love, love, loved it.
May 14, 2017
I don't know how to do it, but the placebo effect isn't a mind trick. The placebo effect is an, as yet, unexplained cascade of neuro-chemicals that humans access when other humans help them. It is our immune system gone social. We know that part of the impact is natural occurring opioids. We know this because you can block the placebo effect with naloxone, the anti-opiate agent.
I think the title of this book is a little deceptive. The "deceive" part of the title is that we can also create neuro-cascades in the other direction, the nocebo effect, where we can create illness. We completely understand this in terms of PTSD, when a trauma that isn't happening continues to influence health and wellness, even when there is no actual threat of trauma. The car back-firing or the fireworks are nocebos.
Maybe the biggest thing we can do to help with mental health is macro-out past the individual and realize that mental health is a group effort. Our societies, our work and our families have more impact on our mental health and well-being than any pill could ever have.
I think the title of this book is a little deceptive. The "deceive" part of the title is that we can also create neuro-cascades in the other direction, the nocebo effect, where we can create illness. We completely understand this in terms of PTSD, when a trauma that isn't happening continues to influence health and wellness, even when there is no actual threat of trauma. The car back-firing or the fireworks are nocebos.
Maybe the biggest thing we can do to help with mental health is macro-out past the individual and realize that mental health is a group effort. Our societies, our work and our families have more impact on our mental health and well-being than any pill could ever have.
February 6, 2017
This book was not at all what I expected when I picked it up, so I had to think about how to rate it. The author is a former Christian Scientist who discusses the relative merits of one's ability to heal oneself through convincing him or herself that s/he can. Usually in an unknowing manner- like taking a placebo and still having the effects. Overall, I found the idea fascinating. I'm seriously considering getting my DNA mapped by 23andme like the author suggests to find out my met/val situation to know what kinds of therapies could help me. This is one of those "I wish I didn't know this" kind of situations also though because what if you found out you're a met/met and that you don't need to have outside influence to heal yourself? Would you get hung up/anxious about that fact? I sort of wish that doctors did this for us and could direct us to the appropriate therapies for our gene type. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to have this happen in my lifetime.
While the author does talk about himself and his journey of discovery in doing the research, I didn't feel like it took away from his overall messaging. In general, I liked how he discussed all of the various therapies he experienced and their relative levels of efficacy.
TL;DR- I recommend this to people who are interested in (or completely against) homeopathy or alternative medicine. I don't really have strong feelings about them either way and it's given me a lot of food for thought.
While the author does talk about himself and his journey of discovery in doing the research, I didn't feel like it took away from his overall messaging. In general, I liked how he discussed all of the various therapies he experienced and their relative levels of efficacy.
TL;DR- I recommend this to people who are interested in (or completely against) homeopathy or alternative medicine. I don't really have strong feelings about them either way and it's given me a lot of food for thought.
November 20, 2018
Suggestible You by Erik Vance explains the way our expectations and beliefs influence or responses to various situations and events. A fascinating account of the science and research into the mind and how it can be influenced.
October 10, 2021
What I liked about this book is that it attempts to connect the logic of western science with the “logic” of alternative healing techniques. Among other things, it describes the power of expectation and its effect on the well-being of a person. The author points out that techniques such as homeopathy or acupuncture are very much based on the “internal pharmacy” of our brain. To put it simply, it means that there are actual molecular phenomena occuring in the brain as a result of belief (in the effectivity of your Oscillococcicnum, in the skills of your TCM healer..). The author also points out that suggestibility in this sense is really an advantage, because who wouldn’t want to healt their chronic pain by taking a sugar pill or a by drinking herbal tea. Having read this book, I think I will be more open to alternative medicine, because I can now wrap my rational brain around it in a new way.
Anyways this book is mostly a preview in my opinion, because it does not present a whole lot of hard data, mostly a few fascinating studies. It’s also written by a non-scientist, which, on the other hand, makes it pleasant to read.
Anyways this book is mostly a preview in my opinion, because it does not present a whole lot of hard data, mostly a few fascinating studies. It’s also written by a non-scientist, which, on the other hand, makes it pleasant to read.
November 5, 2018
While "Suggestible You" touches on interesting research and a few curious anecdotes, it still manages to widely miss the mark. Vance simply cannot stop conflating his heavily-biased opinions with the science he superficially cites. He apparently feels an overwhelming desire to defend "suggestible" people who embrace some of the most obvious and (as he irregularly and reluctantly admits) damaging delusions.
While he desperately attempts to make a case for the few positive outcomes that can come from narrow instances of suggestibility (the placebo effect, "healing" via hypnotism, et cetera), Vance breezes past the mountains of problems that arise from suggestibility in daily life. For example, he devotes a minuscule passage to the ruinous effects of gaslighting but spends a large portion of the book praising hypnotism for benefits that science has largely deemed inconclusive.
The placebo effect's positive outcomes are better known - and discussed ad nauseam - but Vance fails to adequately address the fact that we could easily trash all the pseudoscience out there and use scientifically legitimate medicine to administer those same placebo effects via improved psychological training and bedside manners (this idea gets but one or two sentences at the end of the book). Instead of suggesting we get rid of blatantly false "cures" from homeopathy and other lie-riddled pseudosciences, he argues that we should cling to or even embrace their existence, hoping that western medicine will somehow complement their fake treatments with placebos of its own. My question is: Why on Earth would we preserve predatory industries we know are foundationally dishonest, when we could transfer the one or two things that actually work in them to western medicine and jettison the rest of their BS?
In short, Vance's subject is fascinating and important, but he spends the entire book trying to speak out both sides of his mouth - alternately defending science and attempting to placate people who are directly opposed to the very science he pretends to care about. If you are even vaguely interested in objective truth, this isn't the book for you. The science he cites gets short shrift, and the anecdotes he shares do nothing to support the muddy thesis he's trying to sell. Do yourself a favor and give it a pass. For now, academic articles are probably the only good read on this subject.
While he desperately attempts to make a case for the few positive outcomes that can come from narrow instances of suggestibility (the placebo effect, "healing" via hypnotism, et cetera), Vance breezes past the mountains of problems that arise from suggestibility in daily life. For example, he devotes a minuscule passage to the ruinous effects of gaslighting but spends a large portion of the book praising hypnotism for benefits that science has largely deemed inconclusive.
The placebo effect's positive outcomes are better known - and discussed ad nauseam - but Vance fails to adequately address the fact that we could easily trash all the pseudoscience out there and use scientifically legitimate medicine to administer those same placebo effects via improved psychological training and bedside manners (this idea gets but one or two sentences at the end of the book). Instead of suggesting we get rid of blatantly false "cures" from homeopathy and other lie-riddled pseudosciences, he argues that we should cling to or even embrace their existence, hoping that western medicine will somehow complement their fake treatments with placebos of its own. My question is: Why on Earth would we preserve predatory industries we know are foundationally dishonest, when we could transfer the one or two things that actually work in them to western medicine and jettison the rest of their BS?
In short, Vance's subject is fascinating and important, but he spends the entire book trying to speak out both sides of his mouth - alternately defending science and attempting to placate people who are directly opposed to the very science he pretends to care about. If you are even vaguely interested in objective truth, this isn't the book for you. The science he cites gets short shrift, and the anecdotes he shares do nothing to support the muddy thesis he's trying to sell. Do yourself a favor and give it a pass. For now, academic articles are probably the only good read on this subject.
December 24, 2019
This was an absolutely fascinating book. I knew about the placebo effect, of course, but the author goes into so much more detail on how incredibly powerful this phenomenon actually is, and hits on all sorts of related mind-body connection topics such as hypnosis, sham surgeries that actually heal, and false memories. I learned a lot and was amazed by some of the anecdotes and studies cited herein. One thing I found especially interesting is the fact that the placebo effect even occurs if the subject is aware that s/he is getting a placebo! It is unbelievable that studies bear this out. Our minds are really fascinating and so much more powerful than I ever imagined.
As an audiobook, the hypnotic induction in the Appendix was especially good. I listened while lying in bed trying to get back to sleep, went right down those twenty stairs and achieved a state of relaxation I would never have dreamed possible. I am going to keep the book checked out from the library awhile just to re-experience that!
As an audiobook, the hypnotic induction in the Appendix was especially good. I listened while lying in bed trying to get back to sleep, went right down those twenty stairs and achieved a state of relaxation I would never have dreamed possible. I am going to keep the book checked out from the library awhile just to re-experience that!
May 22, 2017
Compelling look at the significant impact expectation has on our body's reaction to diagnosed illness and a variety of treatments - western medicine, placebos, traditional healers, faith healers, "natural" remedies, hypnosis. He makes a compelling argument that what your brain expects impacts what you actually feel - both in ways we can understand (and he explains) and in ways we cannot. Of course he is clear that there is a list of symptoms that are particularly susceptible to suggestion - "chronic pain, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, nausea, mild depression, headaches, arthritis, fibromyalgia, neuralgia, Parkinson's disease, and addiction. . . maybe colds, insomnia, weight loss and athletic performance." They actually did a study where they gave people shakes to drink, all containing the same calories, but told one group they were low cal shakes and another they were high cal shakes and the low cal group actually lost more weight.
I was very interested that he not only looked at the impact of "placebos" - Latin for 'I shall please' and "nocebos" Latin for "I shall harm. "Just as placebos ease pain through brain processes, nocebos cause it." So if we expect healing, we are more likely to feel relief. But if we expect to feel worse - either because someone has cast a spell, or simply a suggestion "this is going to pinch/hurt."
Part history of healing, part anthropological study of healing and illness around the world, part psychological study of brain chemistry and part medical review of literature - Vance has obviously been a thorough, award-winning science journalist for a long time. I appreciate his willingness to look at alternative methods of healing - but does NOT suggest people rely on alternative therapies for serious illnesses. He warns that no one should go broke trying alternative medicines (a red flag for a trickster), nor should they forgo mainstream medicines in favor of purely alternative medicines - layering alternative therapies over mainstream meds seems more practical.
I also really appreciate him reminding his readers that the "supplements industry" in the US is "not regulated by the FDA or any other government body the way the pharmaceutical industry is. In early 2015, the New York State attorney general investigated a few of the plant supplmements for sale at GNC, Target, Walgreens, and Walmart. Forty-five percent of the pills contained no plant matter at all; 33 percent contained something different from what was on the label; and just 22 percent actually tested positive for the plant that was supposed to be in the bottle. Another study out of Canada revealed much the same result. . . 2 of the 12 investigated companies delivering what they claimed."
Great read - Vance's years of writing for popular journals have honed his ability to describe complex ideas in a very readable and understandable manner. His bibliography is extensive if you are interested in learning more.
I was very interested that he not only looked at the impact of "placebos" - Latin for 'I shall please' and "nocebos" Latin for "I shall harm. "Just as placebos ease pain through brain processes, nocebos cause it." So if we expect healing, we are more likely to feel relief. But if we expect to feel worse - either because someone has cast a spell, or simply a suggestion "this is going to pinch/hurt."
Part history of healing, part anthropological study of healing and illness around the world, part psychological study of brain chemistry and part medical review of literature - Vance has obviously been a thorough, award-winning science journalist for a long time. I appreciate his willingness to look at alternative methods of healing - but does NOT suggest people rely on alternative therapies for serious illnesses. He warns that no one should go broke trying alternative medicines (a red flag for a trickster), nor should they forgo mainstream medicines in favor of purely alternative medicines - layering alternative therapies over mainstream meds seems more practical.
I also really appreciate him reminding his readers that the "supplements industry" in the US is "not regulated by the FDA or any other government body the way the pharmaceutical industry is. In early 2015, the New York State attorney general investigated a few of the plant supplmements for sale at GNC, Target, Walgreens, and Walmart. Forty-five percent of the pills contained no plant matter at all; 33 percent contained something different from what was on the label; and just 22 percent actually tested positive for the plant that was supposed to be in the bottle. Another study out of Canada revealed much the same result. . . 2 of the 12 investigated companies delivering what they claimed."
Great read - Vance's years of writing for popular journals have honed his ability to describe complex ideas in a very readable and understandable manner. His bibliography is extensive if you are interested in learning more.
October 9, 2019
(The English review is placed beneath Russian one)
Книга довольно слабая, т.к. затрагивает, по сути, только один вопрос – плацебо эффект. Автор уделяет этому вопросу больше половины книги, а оставшуюся часть делят вопросы, связанные с такими эффектами как: проклятия (плацебо-наоборот, в каком-то смысле), гипноз, фальшивые воспоминания и что-то по мелочи, на что у меня уже не хватило ни сил, ни желания.
К сожалению, автор, с моей точки зрения, даже не смог разобрать основную тему, связанную с плацебо эффектом. Да, в книге мы найдём огромное количество примеров, однако автор очень и очень скупо поделится с читателем технической стороной вопроса и абсолютно не рассмотрит вопрос: а как плацебо можно использовать на практике? Как этим можно воспользоваться, будучи совершенно обычным человеком (я имею в виду, не врачом)? Потому что, ok, мы прочитали (хотя о плацебо эффекте уже давно знаем) и? Дальше-то что? Или это просто «информация к размышлению» не подразумевающая какого-то дальнейшего использования на практике? Вот судя по тому, что написано в книге, ответ - отрицательный. Как правильно заметил один англоязычный читатель, «…но как мы можем использовать эти результаты в отношении страха, боли и в целом, чтобы получить преимущество огромной силы которое мы имеем, но которое не можем контролировать?».
Также я бы хотел отметить, что книга правильно носит ярлык, связанный с медициной, т.к. книга не совсем развлекательная. Я вот даже не знаю, можно ли её причислить к книгам типа «Очаровательный кишечник» или к любой другой популярной нехудожественной литературе, цель которой - популяризация науки. Книга всё же с пусть небольшим, но уклоном в медицину и вот так просто прочесть, будучи никак не связан с медициной (или хотя бы не интересующийся ею), я думаю, не получится - наскучит. Хотя, у меня сложилось такое отношение к книге, когда я не могу ни советовать, ни говорить, что книга не получилась.
После основной темы – плацебо эффект – автор ушёл в более популярные или затёртые темы, отчего в иной раз возникало ощущение, что сделано это было с целью увеличения объёма книги. Довольно поверхностно (хоть и интересно) автор прошёлся по обратной стороне плацебо, т.е. проклятия, приметы и пр. В принципе, многих эта часть может заинтересовать, т.к. подобный текст встречается не так часто. К примеру, я уже читал про тот эффект, когда человек может реально умереть поле того как съест сакральную еду, которая ему не предназначена (но о чём он не знал). В принципе, тема интересная и мне кажется, можно было бы её рассмотреть более широко, интересно и подробно.
Тема фальшивых воспоминаний и сколько людей было отправлено за решётку и/или загублено судеб в связи с событиями, которых никогда не было - также интересная, но, как и с проклятиями, всё довольно поверхностно, коротко и без особо глубокого анализа (в книге «Ошибки которые были сделаны (но не мной)» автор посвятил тоже не так много места, но разобран этот вопрос настолько виртуозно, что я бы посоветовал читать именно «Ошибки»).
Последние несколько глав для меня стали явным перебором, да и в целом всё было уже понятно. Поэтому в качестве итога могу сказать, что книга понравится (очень возможно) тем, кто ещё не сталкивался с вопросами поднятыми автором. Однако от себя добавлю, что автор рассматривает практически все вопросы не то чтобы совсем уж поверхностно, но как-то не очень сильно утруждает себя анализом. Ну, возможно, темы плацебо и гипноз автор действительно разобрал максимально подробно, однако в целом от книги остается ощущение того, что автор хотел написать очередную книгу по популярной психологии. Получилось ли? И да и нет. Если тема кому-то интересна, то наверно стоит прочесть. А так, от скуки ради – скорее не стоит.
The book is quite weak, because it only touches on one issue - the placebo effect. The author devotes more than half of the book to this issue, and the rest of the book is divided into questions related to such effects as curses (placebo on the contrary, in a sense), hypnosis, false memories and something trifling.
Unfortunately, the author, from my point of view, could not even explain the main topic related to the placebo effect. Yes, we will find a lot of examples in the book, but the author will share the technical side of the question with the reader very, very sparingly and will not consider the question: how can a placebo be used in practice? How can you use this, being an ordinary person (I mean, not a doctor)? Because, ok, we have read (although we have known about the placebo effect for a long time) and? Next what? Or is it just "information to think about" not implying any further use in practice? Judging by what is written in the book, the answer is negative. As one English-language reader has rightly pointed out, "... but how can we use these results to address fear, pain, and generally take advantage of the immense power that we have but can't control?"
I would also like to point out that the book is properly labelled as a medicine related book because it is not quite entertaining. I don't even know if it can be classified as the book Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ by Giulia Enders or any other popular non-fiction literature that aims to popularize science. However, this book has a small inclination to medicine. Although, I have developed such an attitude to the book, when I can neither advise nor say that the book failed.
After the main theme - the placebo effect - the author went into more popular topics, which sometimes made me feel that it was done in order to increase the volume of the book. Rather superficially (though interestingly) the author described the theme of curses, omens, etc. In principle, many people may be interested in this part, because such text is not so often found. For example, I have already read about the effect when a person can really die by eating sacral food that is not meant for him (but about which he did not know). In principle, the topic is interesting and I think it could be considered more broadly, interestingly and in detail.
The topic of false memories and how many people were sent to jail and/or destinies were ruined in connection with events that never happened, is also interesting, but, as with curses, everything is rather superficial, short and without much analysis (in the book "Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me)" by Carol Tavris the author has also devoted not so much space, but this question is so masterfully dealt with that I would advise to read "Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me)").
The last few chapters were a bit too much for me, and everything was already clear. Therefore, as a result, I can say that the book will be appreciated (very probably) by those who have not yet encountered the issues raised by the author. However, I would like to add that the author considers almost all the questions not only superficially, but does not bother to analyze them. Well, perhaps, the author has really analyzed the topics of placebo and hypnosis as much as possible, but in general, the feeling of the book is that the author wanted to write another book on popular psychology. Did it work out? And yes and no. If the topic is interesting to someone, it is probably worth reading. Otherwise, it is not worth it.
Книга довольно слабая, т.к. затрагивает, по сути, только один вопрос – плацебо эффект. Автор уделяет этому вопросу больше половины книги, а оставшуюся часть делят вопросы, связанные с такими эффектами как: проклятия (плацебо-наоборот, в каком-то смысле), гипноз, фальшивые воспоминания и что-то по мелочи, на что у меня уже не хватило ни сил, ни желания.
К сожалению, автор, с моей точки зрения, даже не смог разобрать основную тему, связанную с плацебо эффектом. Да, в книге мы найдём огромное количество примеров, однако автор очень и очень скупо поделится с читателем технической стороной вопроса и абсолютно не рассмотрит вопрос: а как плацебо можно использовать на практике? Как этим можно воспользоваться, будучи совершенно обычным человеком (я имею в виду, не врачом)? Потому что, ok, мы прочитали (хотя о плацебо эффекте уже давно знаем) и? Дальше-то что? Или это просто «информация к размышлению» не подразумевающая какого-то дальнейшего использования на практике? Вот судя по тому, что написано в книге, ответ - отрицательный. Как правильно заметил один англоязычный читатель, «…но как мы можем использовать эти результаты в отношении страха, боли и в целом, чтобы получить преимущество огромной силы которое мы имеем, но которое не можем контролировать?».
Также я бы хотел отметить, что книга правильно носит ярлык, связанный с медициной, т.к. книга не совсем развлекательная. Я вот даже не знаю, можно ли её причислить к книгам типа «Очаровательный кишечник» или к любой другой популярной нехудожественной литературе, цель которой - популяризация науки. Книга всё же с пусть небольшим, но уклоном в медицину и вот так просто прочесть, будучи никак не связан с медициной (или хотя бы не интересующийся ею), я думаю, не получится - наскучит. Хотя, у меня сложилось такое отношение к книге, когда я не могу ни советовать, ни говорить, что книга не получилась.
После основной темы – плацебо эффект – автор ушёл в более популярные или затёртые темы, отчего в иной раз возникало ощущение, что сделано это было с целью увеличения объёма книги. Довольно поверхностно (хоть и интересно) автор прошёлся по обратной стороне плацебо, т.е. проклятия, приметы и пр. В принципе, многих эта часть может заинтересовать, т.к. подобный текст встречается не так часто. К примеру, я уже читал про тот эффект, когда человек может реально умереть поле того как съест сакральную еду, которая ему не предназначена (но о чём он не знал). В принципе, тема интересная и мне кажется, можно было бы её рассмотреть более широко, интересно и подробно.
Тема фальшивых воспоминаний и сколько людей было отправлено за решётку и/или загублено судеб в связи с событиями, которых никогда не было - также интересная, но, как и с проклятиями, всё довольно поверхностно, коротко и без особо глубокого анализа (в книге «Ошибки которые были сделаны (но не мной)» автор посвятил тоже не так много места, но разобран этот вопрос настолько виртуозно, что я бы посоветовал читать именно «Ошибки»).
Последние несколько глав для меня стали явным перебором, да и в целом всё было уже понятно. Поэтому в качестве итога могу сказать, что книга понравится (очень возможно) тем, кто ещё не сталкивался с вопросами поднятыми автором. Однако от себя добавлю, что автор рассматривает практически все вопросы не то чтобы совсем уж поверхностно, но как-то не очень сильно утруждает себя анализом. Ну, возможно, темы плацебо и гипноз автор действительно разобрал максимально подробно, однако в целом от книги остается ощущение того, что автор хотел написать очередную книгу по популярной психологии. Получилось ли? И да и нет. Если тема кому-то интересна, то наверно стоит прочесть. А так, от скуки ради – скорее не стоит.
The book is quite weak, because it only touches on one issue - the placebo effect. The author devotes more than half of the book to this issue, and the rest of the book is divided into questions related to such effects as curses (placebo on the contrary, in a sense), hypnosis, false memories and something trifling.
Unfortunately, the author, from my point of view, could not even explain the main topic related to the placebo effect. Yes, we will find a lot of examples in the book, but the author will share the technical side of the question with the reader very, very sparingly and will not consider the question: how can a placebo be used in practice? How can you use this, being an ordinary person (I mean, not a doctor)? Because, ok, we have read (although we have known about the placebo effect for a long time) and? Next what? Or is it just "information to think about" not implying any further use in practice? Judging by what is written in the book, the answer is negative. As one English-language reader has rightly pointed out, "... but how can we use these results to address fear, pain, and generally take advantage of the immense power that we have but can't control?"
I would also like to point out that the book is properly labelled as a medicine related book because it is not quite entertaining. I don't even know if it can be classified as the book Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ by Giulia Enders or any other popular non-fiction literature that aims to popularize science. However, this book has a small inclination to medicine. Although, I have developed such an attitude to the book, when I can neither advise nor say that the book failed.
After the main theme - the placebo effect - the author went into more popular topics, which sometimes made me feel that it was done in order to increase the volume of the book. Rather superficially (though interestingly) the author described the theme of curses, omens, etc. In principle, many people may be interested in this part, because such text is not so often found. For example, I have already read about the effect when a person can really die by eating sacral food that is not meant for him (but about which he did not know). In principle, the topic is interesting and I think it could be considered more broadly, interestingly and in detail.
The topic of false memories and how many people were sent to jail and/or destinies were ruined in connection with events that never happened, is also interesting, but, as with curses, everything is rather superficial, short and without much analysis (in the book "Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me)" by Carol Tavris the author has also devoted not so much space, but this question is so masterfully dealt with that I would advise to read "Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me)").
The last few chapters were a bit too much for me, and everything was already clear. Therefore, as a result, I can say that the book will be appreciated (very probably) by those who have not yet encountered the issues raised by the author. However, I would like to add that the author considers almost all the questions not only superficially, but does not bother to analyze them. Well, perhaps, the author has really analyzed the topics of placebo and hypnosis as much as possible, but in general, the feeling of the book is that the author wanted to write another book on popular psychology. Did it work out? And yes and no. If the topic is interesting to someone, it is probably worth reading. Otherwise, it is not worth it.
March 2, 2017
In the scientific community, there are a lot of people who think that people using "alternative medicines" are either lying or being duped.
This book offers a look from various aspects through scientific brain imaging, the author's attempt to get hypnotized, genetic markers in studies, and many more. He readily admits when he doesn't know something.
There's a lot of information about how being suggestible affects our lives, and towards the end, he offers a "how to" section advising readers that there's nothing wrong with using placebos in our daily lives--if we prefer Emergen-C because of the bubbles that don't actually do anything, it's not a big deal. It doesn't mean we're inferior, and it can actually be helpful. If we can stop smoking by hypnosis--go for it! But he advises his readers to stay away from "snake-oil salesmen" and offers ideas of how to spot them.
Overall, very interesting and even moderately useful compared with the self-help kick I've been on (which is what I initially thought this book was.)
Listened to this on audiobook through my library's Overdrive.
This book offers a look from various aspects through scientific brain imaging, the author's attempt to get hypnotized, genetic markers in studies, and many more. He readily admits when he doesn't know something.
There's a lot of information about how being suggestible affects our lives, and towards the end, he offers a "how to" section advising readers that there's nothing wrong with using placebos in our daily lives--if we prefer Emergen-C because of the bubbles that don't actually do anything, it's not a big deal. It doesn't mean we're inferior, and it can actually be helpful. If we can stop smoking by hypnosis--go for it! But he advises his readers to stay away from "snake-oil salesmen" and offers ideas of how to spot them.
Overall, very interesting and even moderately useful compared with the self-help kick I've been on (which is what I initially thought this book was.)
Listened to this on audiobook through my library's Overdrive.
November 22, 2016
I read Vance's fascinating article in the December issue of National Geographic. He writes about the placebo effect--one of the ways in which the brain deceives us into healing our bodies--and compares it to faith and religious healing. Vance's article was absolutely fabulous, the cutting edge research he shares simply astounding. I'm looking forward to reading the entire book, and think this should be on everyone's must-read shelf.
October 21, 2016
Pros: Psychology, simple language, easy read, enjoyable for those that likes psychology
Cons: Can be boring at times, feels like psych 101 in a book
Disclaimer: I won this book in a goodreads giveaway. Thank you for the opportunity. c:
Cons: Can be boring at times, feels like psych 101 in a book
Disclaimer: I won this book in a goodreads giveaway. Thank you for the opportunity. c:
February 25, 2020
One of these mind blowing books. It was recommended to me by a friend and I had high expectations, but it surpassed the expectations.
Being in the supplement business, everything makes so much more sense after reading this book + a ton of valuable lessons how to improve our business and marketing.
Being in the supplement business, everything makes so much more sense after reading this book + a ton of valuable lessons how to improve our business and marketing.
December 30, 2021
I liked reading about the science behind it and rather than being a satisfying read, it just increased my curiosity further.
December 20, 2024
It’s an interesting book, but it failed my expectations of getting some practical advice. [Full review is coming soon.]
July 15, 2022
Небольшая и очен�� хорошо написанная научным журналистом Вансом (выросшим в супер религиозной семье!) о сложностях нашего мозга — о таланте к внушаемости и что с этим связано. От плацебо и проклятий до гипноза и ноцебо — Ванс рассматривает самые казалось бы нереальные случаи работы нашего мозга на наше тело и находит объяснения. Ничего лишнего, всё только по делу. Статистика, опыты, результаты, список литературы.
Баланс дофамина — серьезная проблема человечества.
Баланс дофамина — серьезная проблема человечества.
January 23, 2020
This was an interesting, well narrated audiobook. I am a bit disappointed though that it didn’t give more instruction on how to use your suggestibility to better your life. The book did say that placebo effects work even if you know they’re placebos. So I guess I can use that Information along with my cabinet full of supplements.
January 24, 2019
Don't let the atrocious lack of cover art fool you; this book is worth listening to.
Don't let the subtitle, summary or first few minutes of the book fool you: this IS scientific. When I started listening to it, I wondered if I had made a mistake. If this was just some alternative medicine quack peddling snake oil and if I needed to stop listening and get a refund from Audible.
Fear not, fans of critical thinking and evidence-based medicine. This is a scientific work. The adventurous writer simply decided to explore everything he could find, from scientific studies studying the effects of expectation and belief on the perception of pain, to paying to get himself cursed by a witch doctor. Let it not be said that the author is not open-minded! However, in addition to sharing this truly diverse and interesting array of anecdotes, he provides scientific information and conclusions.
This book is NOT trying to support any myths. It simply discusses what science has to tell us about how our mind works. How the placebo effect is not just an illusion, but our expectations can actually result in our brains releasing neurochemicals that make real changes. That hypnosis is efficacious (but there are illegitimate uses of hypnosis, such as trying to "recover" memories of past lives. How error-prone memory can be and how easy it is to create false memories. How our expectations about feeling pain will cause us to actually feel mor or less pain. About how genetics can play a role in our expectations, and more. And the author dispells a number of myths as well. He points out studies about vitamin supplements, for example, and how frequently they don't even contain the elements they supposedly do... never mind if they actually have a beneficial effect or not. He also discusses Chinese Traditional Medicine, acupuncture and more.
This is a very interesting and informative book. More than that, it is another arrow in the quiver for the fight against the epidemic of un-critical thinking in the US today. We all have those friends that don't want to vaccinate their children, that follow Dr. Oz religiously, that try juice cleanse after juice cleanse, or believe in the "Law of Attraction." This would be an excellent book to get them to listen to. It's valuable education.
Don't let the subtitle, summary or first few minutes of the book fool you: this IS scientific. When I started listening to it, I wondered if I had made a mistake. If this was just some alternative medicine quack peddling snake oil and if I needed to stop listening and get a refund from Audible.
Fear not, fans of critical thinking and evidence-based medicine. This is a scientific work. The adventurous writer simply decided to explore everything he could find, from scientific studies studying the effects of expectation and belief on the perception of pain, to paying to get himself cursed by a witch doctor. Let it not be said that the author is not open-minded! However, in addition to sharing this truly diverse and interesting array of anecdotes, he provides scientific information and conclusions.
This book is NOT trying to support any myths. It simply discusses what science has to tell us about how our mind works. How the placebo effect is not just an illusion, but our expectations can actually result in our brains releasing neurochemicals that make real changes. That hypnosis is efficacious (but there are illegitimate uses of hypnosis, such as trying to "recover" memories of past lives. How error-prone memory can be and how easy it is to create false memories. How our expectations about feeling pain will cause us to actually feel mor or less pain. About how genetics can play a role in our expectations, and more. And the author dispells a number of myths as well. He points out studies about vitamin supplements, for example, and how frequently they don't even contain the elements they supposedly do... never mind if they actually have a beneficial effect or not. He also discusses Chinese Traditional Medicine, acupuncture and more.
This is a very interesting and informative book. More than that, it is another arrow in the quiver for the fight against the epidemic of un-critical thinking in the US today. We all have those friends that don't want to vaccinate their children, that follow Dr. Oz religiously, that try juice cleanse after juice cleanse, or believe in the "Law of Attraction." This would be an excellent book to get them to listen to. It's valuable education.
March 15, 2017
Vance delves into placebos, sham surgeries, nocebos, which are each endlessly fascinating. Overall the book provides a new framework to think about any intervention in your life. It's good to believe a story because it might help you. Reminds me of the saying that you are the story that you tell yourself. The human mind is so powerful.
May 11, 2017
This was a very interesting read. It starts off telling a story about Christian Scientists and healing through prayer. I thought, "this may not be for me." I am so glad I hung in there! It's an investigation into hypnotism, holistic medicine, placebos, neural mechanics, and habit forming.
The author explores voodoo and magic practices people truly believe in, exploring why these practices seemingly work for these people. He investigates the power of great story telling through the generations and how this shapes how we view treatments and healing. He seeks guidance from doctors and researchers regarding the way the brain works in response to pain and placebos and actively participates in experiments to explore his research question. In the end, he doesn't find a true miracle but does find some interesting facts about brain mechanics along the way.
This book is written with a jovial sense of humor and is appealing to laypersons with very little jargon. The author takes care to give a real world view and includes some side jokes here and there. If you are someone who is interested in the way your brain works or interested in the why's behind some of the new age ways of healing, this book will be an interesting read. If you are someone who has religious views and an open mind regarding science, you may like this also.
The author explores voodoo and magic practices people truly believe in, exploring why these practices seemingly work for these people. He investigates the power of great story telling through the generations and how this shapes how we view treatments and healing. He seeks guidance from doctors and researchers regarding the way the brain works in response to pain and placebos and actively participates in experiments to explore his research question. In the end, he doesn't find a true miracle but does find some interesting facts about brain mechanics along the way.
This book is written with a jovial sense of humor and is appealing to laypersons with very little jargon. The author takes care to give a real world view and includes some side jokes here and there. If you are someone who is interested in the way your brain works or interested in the why's behind some of the new age ways of healing, this book will be an interesting read. If you are someone who has religious views and an open mind regarding science, you may like this also.
August 8, 2018
I liked this book — it was fascinating with great story telling. Times I laughed out loud or nearly gasped. I loved that the author did some of these “experiments “ himself — the most readable parts of the book. The section about “expectations” especially resonated with me. And I think the things we’ve been trying with Alex’s headaches and anxiety are supported by this. The part about the book I didn’t like was the come-away. So what am I supposed to do? Avoid pain meds because they don’t really do anything? Keep away from essential oils because you are just paying for the suggestion that they work? Keep going with the “well, if you think it works, then keep doing it” philosophy I kind of use? The end result is that I probably won’t change anything I’m doing — except maybe giving myself and others more of a break because the brain is a mysterious and individual thing.
March 14, 2019
My ratings of books on Goodreads are solely a crude ranking of their utility to me, and not an evaluation of literary merit, entertainment value, social importance, humor, insightfulness, scientific accuracy, creative vigor, suspensefulness of plot, depth of characters, vitality of theme, excitement of climax, satisfaction of ending, or any other combination of dimensions of value which we are expected to boil down through some fabulous alchemy into a single digit.
October 15, 2019
This was a well-written, engaging book and the author has a unique perspective as someone who grew up in Christian Science. However, like many popular science/psychology books, I would've liked it more if it were at least 50 pages shorter (i.e., less book, more NY Times Magazine feature). I first heard of the book and author on an episode of the podcast On Being, which I strongly recommend if you want to get the main takeaways of the book.
January 8, 2017
This book is an interesting exploration into what we believe and how that helps us heal (or not). The author takes us on a tour of beliefs, and delves into the world of placebos and how they work. Fascinating study of subjects that need more press.
December 21, 2016
Lots of interesting brain science and food for thought in this one!
November 8, 2024
I’m going to think everything is a placebo now.
February 16, 2018
I loved this book.
This is a real pop psychology book but quality material in it's own right. It is not a self help book, but would probably do more good to your well-being than any of those. Despite offering almost no numbers, very metaphoric and broad explanations, unnecessary descriptive regressions on the researchers' appearances, the information in here is genuinely valuable, coming from a sharp mind who both understood the science and how to explain it to the layman. As a neuroscience researcher I found almost everything described as new and interesting, and I'm pretty sure my 86 year old grandmother would as well.
This book covers placebos, nocebos, hypnotism, false memories and the ever pervasive impact of suggestions and expectations. The author explains very well what is known about these fields, which is unfortunately not that much at times; the underlying biological mechanisms, the cultural and storytelling settings that produce the best effects, the hunt for individual differences to better predict susceptibility, and of course the multifaceted ways in which these phenomenon have been exploited by different corners of society. He goes over a multitude of fascinating research experiments and results, as well as his own personal adventures among both scientists and charlatans, all to learn more about suggestion.
Unlike a lot of other pop-psy books, this isn't about freaking people out about how little control they have over their own thoughts and how much they underestimate the world. Instead, with rare positivity, this is a book about embracing what the medical field and most everyone has despised or ignored, and identifying the value in such suggestibility.
The main message is: placebos and suggestion really can get people to heal themselves in significant ways, and we should be doing all we can as a society and individuals to take advantage of this. It's not an easy problem, since humans despise being tricked, and it's hard to walk the fine line between seeking evidence based medicine and the mystical placebo effect of drinking vitamin water. Maybe they will never be reconcilable, but trying to eradicate all forms of placebo medicine will invariably do more harm than good.
This is a real pop psychology book but quality material in it's own right. It is not a self help book, but would probably do more good to your well-being than any of those. Despite offering almost no numbers, very metaphoric and broad explanations, unnecessary descriptive regressions on the researchers' appearances, the information in here is genuinely valuable, coming from a sharp mind who both understood the science and how to explain it to the layman. As a neuroscience researcher I found almost everything described as new and interesting, and I'm pretty sure my 86 year old grandmother would as well.
This book covers placebos, nocebos, hypnotism, false memories and the ever pervasive impact of suggestions and expectations. The author explains very well what is known about these fields, which is unfortunately not that much at times; the underlying biological mechanisms, the cultural and storytelling settings that produce the best effects, the hunt for individual differences to better predict susceptibility, and of course the multifaceted ways in which these phenomenon have been exploited by different corners of society. He goes over a multitude of fascinating research experiments and results, as well as his own personal adventures among both scientists and charlatans, all to learn more about suggestion.
Unlike a lot of other pop-psy books, this isn't about freaking people out about how little control they have over their own thoughts and how much they underestimate the world. Instead, with rare positivity, this is a book about embracing what the medical field and most everyone has despised or ignored, and identifying the value in such suggestibility.
The main message is: placebos and suggestion really can get people to heal themselves in significant ways, and we should be doing all we can as a society and individuals to take advantage of this. It's not an easy problem, since humans despise being tricked, and it's hard to walk the fine line between seeking evidence based medicine and the mystical placebo effect of drinking vitamin water. Maybe they will never be reconcilable, but trying to eradicate all forms of placebo medicine will invariably do more harm than good.
January 19, 2020
Pretty interesting look at things like the placebo effect. (and it's bad counterpart, the nocebo effect)
I was somewhat familiar with the placebo effect before but knew that it didn't work on all kinds of ailments, and somehow I thought it only affected pain, which to me was not that impressive since pain is so subjective. But the placebo effect can work *even if you know it's a placebo*, and brain scans have shown that you actually perceive less pain. Also, it can work on things like Parkinson's disease! There's a really fascinating story about a man with Parkinson's who was part of a trial where he got "sham" surgery where nothing was done, but the placebo effect made him dramatically better for a year and a half. After he found out he didn't get the real treatment, he was shocked, but decided to try to make the best of it, and three years later he is still functioning as well as he was before he found out.
Not everyone experiences the placebo effect (there's some genetic basis for it, it seems like?), and the author considers people who experience it more strongly as lucky, because they have more options available to them for treatments of various things. Which is a neat perspective!
Odds and ends:
- Placebos that relieve pain have been shown to work by making your body produce more opioids. (and in fact taking naloxone makes the placebo effect go away) Similarly, placebos that treat Parkinson's disease make your body produce more dopamine.
- You experience less pain if you expect to feel less pain. (because you thought others going through the same thing said it wasn't very painful)
- There's a story about a military doctor who treats long-term chronic pain with a conditioning exercise - he administers a painkiller at the same time as a particular sensory input (a particular song or smell or something), and after a while the doctor can lower the dose of the painkiller because the body learns to expect pain relief with the sensory input. There's a similar story of a doctor who mixes pain pills with placebos and over time she increases the percentage of placebos, which helps avoid patients getting addicted to the painkillers.
I was somewhat familiar with the placebo effect before but knew that it didn't work on all kinds of ailments, and somehow I thought it only affected pain, which to me was not that impressive since pain is so subjective. But the placebo effect can work *even if you know it's a placebo*, and brain scans have shown that you actually perceive less pain. Also, it can work on things like Parkinson's disease! There's a really fascinating story about a man with Parkinson's who was part of a trial where he got "sham" surgery where nothing was done, but the placebo effect made him dramatically better for a year and a half. After he found out he didn't get the real treatment, he was shocked, but decided to try to make the best of it, and three years later he is still functioning as well as he was before he found out.
Not everyone experiences the placebo effect (there's some genetic basis for it, it seems like?), and the author considers people who experience it more strongly as lucky, because they have more options available to them for treatments of various things. Which is a neat perspective!
Odds and ends:
- Placebos that relieve pain have been shown to work by making your body produce more opioids. (and in fact taking naloxone makes the placebo effect go away) Similarly, placebos that treat Parkinson's disease make your body produce more dopamine.
- You experience less pain if you expect to feel less pain. (because you thought others going through the same thing said it wasn't very painful)
- There's a story about a military doctor who treats long-term chronic pain with a conditioning exercise - he administers a painkiller at the same time as a particular sensory input (a particular song or smell or something), and after a while the doctor can lower the dose of the painkiller because the body learns to expect pain relief with the sensory input. There's a similar story of a doctor who mixes pain pills with placebos and over time she increases the percentage of placebos, which helps avoid patients getting addicted to the painkillers.
Read
January 24, 2022 Suggestible You follows the research of Erik Vance in uncovering how and why the placebo effect works. The placebo effect relies on a persons' expectations and suggestibility. By expecting a response or a benefit from a medication, the body may provide the benefit itself. Erik Vance travels to meet and research with different scientists in uncovering how the mind tricks itself. He visits homeopathic doctors to Harvard professors and even hypnotists. As his research progresses, he discovers the COMT enzyme which I find interesting. It helps manage the levels of dopamine in your brain. Because Dopamine is such an important chemical, any alterations to how it is managed change how someone thinks, acts and reacts to placebos.
As I read on, the book became more and more intriguing. I learned that homeopathic and alternative medicine may actually work, but just not in the way it is advertised. They work because of the brain's 'internal pharmacy'. The belief that the treatment will work causes molecular phenomena to occur in the brain that helps and heal many patients. Although Erik was in a way, advertising alternative medicine, I liked how he included that this does not trump scientifically proven methods of healing. He says "as soon as your shaman, homeopath, or acupuncturist suggests you stop using scientifically proven techniques, they are putting you in serious danger"(Vance, 233).
For me, the book was revolutionary. Having traditionally Chinese grandparents, I would often look down on or doubt their methods of healing. After reading this book, I realized that their methods may actually work because of the placebo effect. I believe that after reading this book, people moving forward would be less critical of alternative medicine. Alternative medicine may not work how it is advertised but, there is a chance that it could help without using intense medication. Because of this, I recommend this book to people who are against non-traditional medicine or to people who are curious about how and if it works.
As I read on, the book became more and more intriguing. I learned that homeopathic and alternative medicine may actually work, but just not in the way it is advertised. They work because of the brain's 'internal pharmacy'. The belief that the treatment will work causes molecular phenomena to occur in the brain that helps and heal many patients. Although Erik was in a way, advertising alternative medicine, I liked how he included that this does not trump scientifically proven methods of healing. He says "as soon as your shaman, homeopath, or acupuncturist suggests you stop using scientifically proven techniques, they are putting you in serious danger"(Vance, 233).
For me, the book was revolutionary. Having traditionally Chinese grandparents, I would often look down on or doubt their methods of healing. After reading this book, I realized that their methods may actually work because of the placebo effect. I believe that after reading this book, people moving forward would be less critical of alternative medicine. Alternative medicine may not work how it is advertised but, there is a chance that it could help without using intense medication. Because of this, I recommend this book to people who are against non-traditional medicine or to people who are curious about how and if it works.
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