Spirituality: an overlooked predictor of placebo effects?

Abstract

Empirical findings have identified spirituality as a potential health resource. Whereas older research has associated such effects with the social component of religion, newer conceptualizations propose that spiritual experiences and the intrapersonal effects that are facilitated by regular spiritual practice might be pivotal to understanding potential salutogenesis. Ongoing studies suggest that spiritual experiences and practices involve a variety of neural systems that may facilitate neural 'top-down' effects that are comparable if not identical to those engaged in placebo responses. As meaningfulness seems to be both a hallmark of spirituality and placebo reactions, it may be regarded as an overarching psychological concept that is important to engaging and facilitating psychophysiological mechanisms that are involved in health-related effects. Empirical evidence suggests that spirituality may under certain conditions be a predictor of placebo response and effects. Assessment of patients' spirituality and making use of various resources to accommodate patients' spiritual needs reflect our most current understanding of the physiological, psychological and socio-cultural aspects of spirituality, and may also increase the likelihood of eliciting self-healing processes. We advocate the position that a research agenda addressing responses and effects of both placebo and spirituality could therefore be (i) synergistic, (ii) valuable to each phenomenon on its own, and (iii) contributory to an extended placebo paradigm that is centred around the concept of meaningfulness.

Shamans as Healers, Counselors, and Psychotherapists

“…The placebo effect, after decades of neglect, is assuming importance as an important aspect of both conventional and unconventional healing (Kohls, Sauer, Offenbacher, & Giordano, 2011). But over the centuries, shamans (both accidentally and deliberately) have found ways to maximize the expectation and hope of their clients.…”

Introduction to placebo effects in medicine: mechanisms and clinical implications

“…For example, there is clear evidence that spirituality is able to alter pain perception [62,63]. Kohls et al [41] suggested that meaningfulness and sense of purpose may be a concept relevant for health-related processes including the placebo effect.…”

“…For example, traits related to reward (and, from a neurobiological point of view, the dopaminergic activation), such as novelty seeking and reward responsiveness, accounted for about 25 to 30% of the variance in placebo analgesic responses [35,36]. Additionally, altruism [37], optimism [38][39][40], empathy [31] and spirituality [32,41] have been found to modulate placebo responses.…”

Mind-Body Practices in Integrative Medicine

“…They are, together with placebo research, the systematic place where it becomes clear that mental activity, techniques and practices have a clearly recognizable and direct influence on the body [201]. Most mind-body techniques seem to be effective, although conclusive statements cannot be made as yet.…”