Imagine how much money the NHS or medical insurance companies would save if we could swap some of our drugs for placebos after a few days of taking them? As far as some exciting new research is concerned, it certainly seems to be a possibility. A placebo is an empty pill; that much most people […]
mind
The Science of High Performance in Sport
Whether you’re playing tennis, golf or even running the 100 metres, there are certain things you can do that can help you to achieve high performance. Here’s 7 of the most important ones: Practice How good do you want to be? One of the most important things to know is that practice lays down neural […]
Does a placebo work if you know it’s a placebo?
The answer to that question is Yes! That’s according to new research led by Ted Kaptchuk, from the Program for Placebo Studies at Beth Israel Medical Center in Boston. It involved 97 patients who had chronic back pain. First, they were given a 15-minute explanation of the placebo effect and how it worked. Then they […]
How a child with Chickenpox stopped itching
As you know, I’m a big fan of visualisation. As I’ve explained before, in many ways the brain doesn’t distinguish real from imaginary. As we imagine something, to the brain, what we imagine is actually happening. In previous blogs I’ve shared scientific evidence of how people have altered physical strength through visualisation, how visualisation can help […]
How to use visualisation to boost your self-love
Lots of people use visualisation. The most popular way is to visualise what you want. Some people picture their ideal house, their ideal car, or a perfect partner who ticks all the boxes, for instance. The idea with this kind of visualisation is to picture what you want, the end result. It’s also useful to […]
Is expensive Nurofen better than cheap Ibuprofen?
Now, not being a marketing person I’m really not in favour of creating different versions of the same thing and charging more for them. But given the recent news headlines, the question many people have is, ‘Is Nurofen better than Ibuprofen?’… even though they are the same thing. I know people who swear that Ibuprofen […]
Is reality a simulation?
You know I like to write on the fusion of science, self-help, and spirituality. Well I think this article pretty much spices things up a bit so try to soak it up in a light-hearted way. The pace of development of computer technology is phenomenal. Have you heard of Moore’s Law? In 1965, Gordon E. […]
5 Reasons Why You Should Visualize
We’ve all heard of visualization. Many people visualize daily, either to improve their health or their life situation. Some people try it from time to time. My personal experience of visualization is that it is highly powerful for a few different reasons. And it’s good to know why! Maybe that’s just my science training, where […]
Drugs Work Better if You Know You’re Getting Them
Imagine the scenario: There’s 2 patients. One is connected to a morphine drip while he’s reading a book and the other is being given a morphine injection by the doctor. They’re both given morphine at the exact same time. One is aware of it but the other isn’t. You’d think they’d both need the same […]
My Perfect Weekend
I was chatting with the director of PR at my publishers (Hay House) recently and she asked me about how I balanced work and home. It led to a conversation about what I considered a perfect weekend. I told her that I’d describe a recent one as a ‘best of both worlds’ weekend. I was […]