Imagination Medicine is a interesting article on recent research into how the placebo effect works in the brain. It confirms my sense that religion works its wonders through the placebo effect as well. Consider this quote for example,
It all boils down to expectation. If you expect pain to diminish, the brain releases natural painkillers. If you expect pain to get worse, the brain shuts off the processes that provide pain relief. Somehow, anticipation trips the same neural wires as actual treatment does.
“It all boils down to expectation”, and expectation is the currency religion uses. Expectation of virtue, wisdom, salvation, escape from death and suffering, etc. Even more important I suppose is that religion provides social connection for fellow believers. As they say, misery loves company. And lets face it, life is struggle, either to obtain basic physical needs, or when those are met, those more elusive psyche-emotional needs.
The most interesting thing I’ve realized lately is that the placebo effect seems to work even if one knows its just a placebo. Perhaps because the need for relief is much deeper than any cognitive appraisals we make. Personally, I’ve long felt Taoism was placebo-like. Of all the religions, Taoism is the best attempt I’ve seen so far to address the placebo-like illusion of religion. Just think, its ‘bible’ (the Tao Te Ching) begins with the disclaimer: ‘The way that can be spoken of is not the constant way‘.
I imagine this is why I can trust ‘taoism’ as much as I do. I have little doubt that this is also why ‘taoism’ is not that popular. Folks generally don’t want to hear that thinking and speaking (and the words and names upon which these rest) may all be by-paths, especially if the way conceals itself in being nameless. Another deal breaker has to be the urge to keep to the deed that consists in taking no action and practice the teaching that uses no words.
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1. Brain imaging mostly tells us what we already know for other reasons.
2. The connections you make between religion and expectation and placebo and etc. are classical (Pavlovian) conditioning with a little operant (Skinnerian) conditioning thrown in.
3. These connections can be subconscious.
4. What’s new here?
Hey Neighbor,
I wonder whether expectations are really Pavlovian, especially as it relates to religion. Pavlovian is more about a dog’s (or human’s) response to stimuli. The placebo effect of religion doesn’t hinge on this, unless you regard our constant life long underlying sense of ‘weirdness’ to be the stimuli. Religion steadies that sense of ‘weirdness’, at least somewhat through ideals / expectations which the belief embodies.
It is all subconscious. Biology hoodwinks us into behaviors; we are mostly unaware of the biological strings pulling us to and fro. In other words, life feels ‘real’.
To be sure, the Pavlovian and Skinnerian conditioning may play superficial roles in this. I suppose the “new here” lies in the role language and thought play in this.