The article Mind over Medicine by Howard Brody, M.D. Ph.D. describes what many people across the globe do subconsciously. Dr. Brody explains how people enhance healing through the "placebo response". The placebo response is a phenomenon that suggests healing through environmental signals. These signals work with what scientists call an "inner pharmacy" which each of us possess. According to Dr. Howard Brody, there have been several cases where patients show great increases in health after taking placebos or on the contrary have declined in health after hearing negative remarks about their condition or the medicine they have been taking. There have also been studies conducted where patients complain of side effects because they are so convinced that what they are using is "real" medication. Scientists have conducted double-blind randomized studies so there is no discrimination between placebos and "real" medication by either the patient or the psychiatrist. The study f!
             ound that patients were influenced by the way the doctor felt about the different medications, even though the psychiatrists did not purposely try to alter the study. The study suggested to scientists that patients use mind over matter to feel exactly how they expect to feel.
             On the contrary to the placebo response, scientists have researched other areas to prove that "miracle healing" does not exist. The article points out an evolutionary view of human behavior. According to some research the body is hard wired to respond to situations with what is called a "top-down process". This process tells our body to protect itself at all costs. Some scientists conclude that the placebo response is a top-down reaction to illnesses that occur in our bodies. Since illness is a threat to our homeostasis, the brain may release healing signals to the rest of the body. If one of the signals is familiar t...