>>34844
People are using the term incorrectly.
There are three elements to placebos. First the belief that something works causing an actual response in the body - this is called a somatic reaction. Second the attribution of any responses as being a result even if there is no actual correlation - this is called an attribution reaction. Third is imaging a response that is not actually happening but to the person involved it feels real - this is called a psychosomatic reaction.
Think of the three forms like this: somatic reaction has you imagining something sexy and your body reacts by getting an erection or stiff nipples. Attribution reaction you are wearing clothes that brush against the penis or nipples which actually caused the stiffening but the imagination is blamed for it. Psychosomatic reaction you remain limp but to your mind you are sporting an erection or stiff nipples.
The original poster and first responder are both referring to Somatic reactions in regards to placebos. Meaning that an actual cause is being driven by the imaginations of the mind. These effects may include temperature awareness changes, arousal, stress, etc.
However, what is important to note in regards to Hypnosis is that this is the "good" placebo. Like how there are "good" and "bad" bacteria, or "good" and "bad" fats or sugars or cholesterol.
In the other thread when I referred to the binaural beats fad as being merely placebo I was NOT referring to the "good" or somatic reactions.
binaural beats does not use the "good" placebo effects but rather makes use of the two "bad" ones.
Attribution reactions are where something is already present but the cause is miss interpreted. For example, no matter how much a girl, or transbirthed male, desires she will not magically grow larger breasts just by a reaction of wishing for them to grow bigger. However, with the correct diet and water intake you may see an improvement in that area even as a transbirth male. More importantly for breast sensitivity however is the stimulation of the cell tissue which occurs from constant handling - such as what happens when you are testing for if a beats file is working.
Then there is the psychosomatic reaction baddest of placebo reactions. This is the one that can get you most in trouble psychologically. In normal hypnosis files this would be where the hypnotist tries to convince someone to imagine that they are something they are not and ignore anything that would contradict that.
Some would argue that it is not dangerous to imagine you have a body of a beautiful model when you really do not; however every study agree that this unrealistic ideal body image usually leads to either depression, anxiety, identity disorders, anger, self-disgust, etc.
Sometimes these people suffer because no matter how well their own brain has self-deluded the image, they can still see how people react to them and it disrupts the fantasy and leaves them in a very low mental state. Other times the suffering comes as a result of trying to force their body into the ideal state and as a result develop eating or purging disorders.
Anyway, the point to this entire post is to state that placebo is a real thing and that the term is meant for more than just a "mental reaction" but rather what "type" of mental reaction.
Hypnosis can cause very real changes to the thinking processes and that is usually not a matter of "pure placebo". This is why I get indignant any time someone says hypnosis is only showing an effect that you want since this is not the case at all with certain forms of "retraining" hypnosis.
But binaural beats which claim to be able to turn someone from 6 ft tall to 5 ft tall or vice versa, or change their bone or cartilage structure, or change the color of their hair / eyes / skin pigment is "pure placebo" in that it can't make a single actual change of that nature.
I hope people will be able to better understand the differences between actual mental changes caused by hypnosis, and the belief that certain physical changes can be induced.
People really need a better understanding of what actually is meant by the word "placebo" and how it can vary situationally in science just like how the word "theory" can vary.