Brain's Capacity to Heal The Body

Science journalist Jo Marchant's new book, Cure, explores whether the mind can heal the body. She writes that “it is impossible to consider one without the other," and one of the most persuasive arguments is the placebo effect. Marchant gives an example of people with Parkinson's disease taking a placebo and proceeding to have surges of dopamine flood to their brains, mimicking the effects of an actual drug. Marchant's intent is not to question modern medicine's effectiveness, but to point out that “when we’re receiving medical care, our mental state matters.” Through the use of accounts from both patients and researchers, Marchant raises questions on how current health care practices function, and what could be done to improve the status quo.