Cabinet of Curiosity: The Power of Expectation

The Power of Expectation

We go through our daily lives constantly living with expectations of what will happen in the future, oftentimes predetermining our behavior and reactions to the events before they even occur. Hume talks about our innate habit of linking cause and effect through experience and memory. When we go into situations expecting negative outcomes, chances are high that you won't have an enjoyable time. On the flip side, we spend so much time looking forward to specific events that our mental image of the event becomes unrealistic, leading to disappointment and dissatisfaction.

There is a strong and undeniable connection between expectations and medicine. The placebo effect is a phenomena in the pharmaceutical world where the human mind naturally cures the body without any real medication. Examples of medical placeboes include sugar pills and saline injections, both substances with no intended therapeutic effects. A placebo injection works better than a placebo pill, and pills that are imprinted with a logo or name are more effective as placebos than blank pills. Even a long talk with the doctor before taking the placebo can boost its effectiveness.

Does the mind possess self-healing powers, and if so, are they comprehendible through science? It is evident that there must be an external catalyst to prompt this "magic". Science has yet to come to clear conclusions regarding the placebo effect, but there are some interesting theories in circulation.

Subject-expectancy effect

When people already know the expected result of a pill, they might unconsciously change their reaction to match the projected result
Expectation of pain relief has been shown to naturally activate the brain’s opioid centers