Wednesday, June 2, 2010

placebo effect

the placebo effect is a well documented effect, that when a patient takes sugar pills, believing them to be effective medicine, and behold, the patient gets better.

if the patient is told it's a placebo, then is there still a way for the effect to exist? can he/she believe in something he/she knows deep down is untrue?

if i somehow find out religion is essentially a placebo, can i still believe it and reap the happiness benefits?

can i be logically delusional - i.e. fool myself to get the logically best outcome?