ABSTRACT
The literal translation from Latin of the term placebo is "I shall please". Today the use of placebo and its effect is a widely acknowledged aspect of modern medical practice. Physicians as well as psychotherapists are acknowledging the role of the mind, or more precisely, the brain, in preparing the patient for healing. Medical science acknowledges that physical, cultural, and psychological factors beyond the control of a physician affect the health of a patient. From a scientific perspective, modern medicine is constantly trying to insulate itself from the confusing and frustrating influences of placebo effects and nonspecific factors related to a patient's treatment. Substantial research demonstrates the subjectivity of the experience of pain; that pain is influenced by placebo, by stress-induced analgesia, by anxiety, by behavioral conditioning, and by hypnosis.
