Uncategorized Archives - David R Hamilton PHD

What your brain stops letting you see

By Dr David R Hamilton | July 14, 2026

Ever wonder why you stop noticing the smell of your own home? Discover habituation – the fascinating process behind what your brain stops letting you see.

Cartoon image of a pink brain with rosy cheeks, smiling, while doing a yoga pose standing on one leg with finger and thumb of each hand held in a mudra. It's wearing a blue headband and a heart bubble is emerging from it's mind.

When you visualise illness to wellness

By Dr David R Hamilton | October 9, 2025

In our ancient past, the brain learned to process imagined danger as if it was real – because it might save our lives.

Box of Placebo tablets with writing on the box saying - Placebo 30mg. The box is partially opened and shows red-and-white capsules inside. The box is white with a sky blue bar across the length that highlights the word 'placebo' and a dark blue bar across the width at one end.

Open Label Placebos: Why They Work Even When You Know They’re Fake

By Dr David R Hamilton | April 10, 2025

Open Label Placebos (OLP) are placebos that don’t pretend to be real drugs. They say…

Four people sitting on a sofa, each holding a large human face-sized emoji that covers their face. From left to right the emojis are: surprise, contentment, happiness, love (that is, two red love hearts over the eyes). Each person is casually dressed in jeans and a t-shirt.

Pass It On: The Surprising Science of Contagious Happiness

By Dr David R Hamilton | March 10, 2025

Without even trying, you start to feel a little lighter, a little happier. What if I told you this isn’t just a coincidence, but a well-documented scientific phenomenon? And the further effects are quite astonishing.