Case Study: The Power of Placebos

This process is to demonstrate the power of placebo and show that even when people know they’re taking a placebo, it can still have physical effects on the body.

After receiving a “fear erasure tablet”, participants are put into scary situations like being locked in a dark room or a coffin, and their physical reactions are monitored. Remarkably, even though the participants verbally acknowledged taking a placebo, their body’s stress responses are lowered after taking the pill compared to before.

This shows the mind’s ability to override our autonomic fight or flight responses and biologically reduce fear through expectation and suggestion alone.

Derren Brown discusses how placebos have been clinically proven to reduce pain and change hormonal secretions through psychological factors.The video is an entertaining demonstration of just how powerful the placebo effect and mind-body connection can be.

4.19/4.27/5.10/7.3 magic workshops

I have also been in touch with several magicians based in London via a magician’s workshop. According to them, magic isn’t as entertaining if you perform magic alone, you have to weave a story or a narrative into it to actually attract an audience. Requoting Derren Brown: “Magic is a great analogy of editing reality and forming a story and mistaking that story for the truth.” It is quite a valid way of storytelling.