Disclaimer: I base the theories and techniques offered in this article on anecdotal experiences. While I am not a doctor, I have found that the placebo scenarios act as a counterweight to my precarious state of mind. I grew up in a family where mistakes outweigh achievements. And the poor judgment was extremely damaging. Thus, from an early age, I had to shore up my self-esteem by inventing stories in which I was successful. Little did I know that I was using the placebo effect to deflect negativity and treat my depression.

Another warning: do not operate vehicles or heavy machinery while using this technique as it closes our reality and the outside world. It is best applied in a safe environment, free from physical or mental hazards and unwanted distractions.

Additional Warning: If you are under the care of a physician or are taking psychotic or pain medications, please inform your physician prior to starting this program, as treatment conflicts may arise.

What is the placebo effect? It is a phenomenon whereby sufferers get better with treatments that have no discernible reason to work. While it is strange and misunderstood, it can be almost as effective as drugs that have been on the market for years. Studies also show that symptoms often improve when fake drugs are given.

Some call it a gimmick rather than a real thing. But recent research studies show a connection between brain chemistry and placebo use. Another study, a functional magnetic resonance imaging one, detected small changes in blood flow caused by the use of placebo. Like pharmaceuticals, placebos trigger neurochemicals like endorphins and dopamine and create numbness or lack of awareness of pain.

So my guess is that if people get better by taking a placebo pill, then why wouldn’t they get better when they self-administer a deviant positive scenario? Studies validate this theory and show that patients’ conditions improve even when they knew they were taking a placebo. I repeat that again; they knew they were getting fake drugs and still got better.

What is the reason for this? Perhaps it is the survival mechanism in all of us that looks for ways to stay happy and alive. We have this hope and desire to believe that our choices will lead to a better life. Belief is the crucial part of these diagnoses, because without that faith you condemn the treatment.

So what makes the placebo effect work? Perhaps our emotions and intentions do not start in the conscious mind, but are triggered in the subconscious mind. They can be innate, learned, or imposed choices from childhood to the present. Whatever is programmed into our brain, both good and bad premises, that’s basically what guides us through life. However, they can be rescheduled. There is a little quirk in the human subconscious mind, it cannot differentiate between something imagined and something remembered. They both have similar effects on our brain chemistry. Thus, imagining positive and rehabilitating scenarios, a healing process can begin.

What kinds of scenarios work best? For me, the stories away from my daily life and problems are the most competent. If you get too close to your personal life, you will continue to regurgitate old problems instead of diverting them. Likewise, you want to create stories that replace your suffering with positive, uplifting thoughts and emotions. This is a rehabilitation process, replacing the bad with the good and not looking for quick answers. A better analogy is to allow the body to heal itself so that you can go back to fighting your demons.

Scenarios that focus on achievement and receiving recognition can be beneficial to the psyche. They not only displace negative feelings; they start paths to positive activities. Cheerful scenarios can also help reduce stress. This is because positive emotions, such as feeling grateful or euphoric, reduce the release of cortisol, the stress hormone.

Troubleshooting scenarios work well even when the results are not productive. Think of them as exercises for the brain. When you have positive thoughts, negative thoughts and feelings have little opportunity to creep in. Also, problem solving requires a much more focused approach that makes travel more effective. However, these scenarios must be disconnected and removed from your current conflicts.

Become the hero of your story, the savior, the innovator, the savior, the loyal companion, the facilitator or the good soldier. Whatever takes you away from your problems, the misery, the pain, that’s the placebo scenario you want to imagine and create. Feel-good scenarios are like meditation in that they allow the body and mind to rest while generating positive hormones that promote healing.

By structuring your stories, you will find that when all goes well, without conflict or hassle, the results lack satisfaction. To succeed, you need obstacles that test your strength and courage; people, things, or ideas that get in your way. The higher the difficulty, the more satisfactory your winning resolution will be. So, insert villains, natural disasters, and overwhelming problems that challenge your skills so that when you overcome them, it will be a worthwhile achievement.

When using this placebo regiment, care must be taken in telling others. This is because their scenarios and dreams are not made for public scrutiny. First. your mental state, be it depressed or optimistic, your attempts to improve it may face disbelief and opposition, especially when trying to analyze your scenarios and dreams. Only you will know if they are working or not.

If you pass on your placebo efforts to others, they are no longer yours if you want to revisit, expand, or bask in their glory. When made public, they lose their punch and become conversational jokes rather than helpful therapy.

Another caveat to keep in mind is when scenarios turn into commitments to be met, obligations beyond your capabilities. This reality can lead to thoughts of failure and depression. It is better to keep these two worlds separate.

Addiction to placebo scenarios could be a problem in which the rush to overcome dangers and be triumphant creates fantastic moments. Those obsessions, especially when they damage your work and social life, must be dealt with conscientiously. It is as if the treatment has taken over and it has become an overdose problem. In such situations, one must weigh a healthy reality against rejuvenating scenarios and balance them for the best possible life.

There is a secondary benefit in the placebo scenarios. I remember a study that said that employees who daydream at work are more innovative than other employees. In the business world, innovations are the most effective way to increase productivity and profits. In daydreaming, you think outside the box and discover solutions that linear thinkers overlook.

While I caution against shared scenarios, the following stories have been exhausted from overuse and will give you an idea of ​​how my imagination works. Using similar scenarios can lead to a healthy psyche.

He designed a worthless car engine that the Indy 500 won. This was a problem-solving scenario that required a lot of structural visualization and sequential conceptualization. It took over a year to figure out and visualize the design.

As a member of the Air Force crew he was shot down in WWII in Germany and encountered the French subway. He helped uncover rogue resistance members working with the Nazis, in addition to the discovery of a mole operating out of the London Ally Command Center. He learned French and some German and went undercover during the war.

He helped design a cinema projection system that does not require special glasses that uses ultra-high frequency light waves projected onto an embedded glass screen to produce vivid 3-D images. The embedded crystals were formulated from compounds mined from large meteorites that fell in Russia in 2013. Scientists found that these crystals exhibit unique properties that reflect different perspectives depending on the frequency of the ultra-high light waves that hit them. Computer programs take data from standard 3D digital cameras and convert it into data that works with this new system. Observers who conducted the screening tests said it is like looking out of a large open window, so the images are realistic.

Studies have shown that positive thoughts that replace negative thoughts increase the perspective of the subject. However, having happy thoughts is not enough to take us to another world. Made-up scenarios can and do have the additional feature of being under the control of the subject and, when they are intense, they exclude the real world. They also give the subject options whether to seek rehabilitation or to fester in his own misery. By choosing correctly, the patient becomes a doctor and heals himself.

Placebo stage therapy takes time. What got you into this mess took time, and getting back healthy takes time, too. Don’t look for instant success; because like physical wounds, they take time to heal.

The placebo effect of reading this article means believing that there is something here that could help you feel better. It also means an awareness that you are looking for answers and solutions; that’s a step in the right direction. Welcome to the world of the placebo scenario.