The placebo effect is often kind of spoken of as though it were something to be mocked- in other words, 'it was all in your head'. But another way of looking at it, it seems to me, is that if we paid attention to the remarkable ability of the mind and body to cooperate we might be able to routinely utilize the placebo effect. Wouldn't it be wonderful, when something is obviously wrong, to know that given the proper way to present the problem to the body, it can heal itself!

Of course, I do realize that the body usually is is able to heal itself with just an occasional bit of help from outside. But that is the natural course of events and that is not quite what I'm talking about.

Maybe someday there will be teachers (again!) to instruct students in how to access this force?