Understanding belief

20^th July

Importance of understanding the idea of belief-how is it defined/how people react/respond. Understanding this might give a clue as to how a placebo takes place/manifests itself at a later stage.

Placebo is a manifestation of belief, therefore understanding placebo as a mechanism in everyday life.Speculation on how belief occurs in different contexts? (Spiritual, social, psychological, philosophical levels)

As per the talks, it is easier to map the where all belief occurs.

• After the talking to the astrologer, one observation was that when belief is seen as a spiritual occurrence.
• A strong and conscious belief is seen in God. (his connection to God through meditation).
• From the story he told, it was easy to infer how he uses the 'expectancy technique' which takes place as a placebo effect.

After talking to the homeopath, belief was a motivational push to 'vital force' to bring about a placebo effect.

• Homeopathy is a topic of controversy. Since there is no such plausible evidence, many in the western culture have termed it as a pseudoscience.

• Acceptance of homeopathy in Indian culture (analogy of a duck to water): Indian culture has an inherent metaphysical backing which makes it easier for the Indians to accept homeopathy due to the philosophical attribute attached to it

Vital force=Mind

Mind over body equation

• Possible placebo: Positive energy in the form of motivation acts as a placebo (theory # 3)

As a homeopath, empathetic role-playing to bring about awareness of the problem/relation between disease, illness and circumstance.

When this awareness is brought, the patients themselves come up with solutions. (Possible placebo?)

To create a receptive state of mind = understanding the cause and effect equation + indicative medicines.

Observation/Conclusion: All people need sometimes is a motivation/external push to the vital force present within for a placebo effect to take place.

Shows the mind over body control through a placebo, which could be a psychological state of mind. (diagram: head & body)

25^th july/almost the 26^th morning 1.06AM

It has been a week

the progress goes like this:

From thought of confusion to certain clarity

I have already spoken to two people and hopefully will be talking to the third person tomorrow. The earlier two people I spoke to were an astrologer and a homeopath.

I have to still write down the conversation I had with them to see how people abundantly practice placebo(the power of belief) through their profession. In their own respective ways they both use belief and faith either in god or in the medicines prescribed to formulate solutions/answers to questions by giving hope that everything will be okay.

I have to still consolidate the conversation and the research in terms of ideas of possible outcomes and ideas for my own installation.

Exercises like the Rorschach inkblots, similar to this exercise I have to ask Anna Chandy(T.A) if she can suggest a few more. I have to also look up transactional therapy games? – both reading and Youtube.