Where mind goes, body follows  [One] method of harnessing the
healing powers of the body in an indirect or passive way is the
use of placebos. As commonly used a placebo is an inert
substance, prepared to resemble an active drug and given to
patients in experiments so as to have a basis of comparison for
the results of that drug.  Usually the placebos have an effect
as well, and the difference in degree between this effect and
that of the drug is taken as a measure of the drug's
effectiveness. For a drug to be marketed, it must outperform the
placebo. If the investigators find no difference between real
pills and placebos, they are led to believe that the physical
medication was ineffective.  There is room for question here,
however, because placebos can have powerful effects. In fact, a
considerable part of the effect of most prescriptions is
considered to be the placebo effect.  Placebo effects are real
and powerful. Who is doing the healing when one takes a placebo?
Why can't we just say to our minds, "rep