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Gemoire

It’s just a placebo

Strict, no-fun-allowed sciencebro types will scoff at religious rituals, saying that if your spell worked or your prayer came true, it’s “just the placebo effect”.

That’s true. And that’s fucking awesome.

Just by believing that something will happen, you can *make* that thing happen. I believe the scent of cinnamon will make me happy, so it does. I believe that wearing a protective talisman will keep me calm, so it does. Likewise, when I read tarot cards I’m “just” making sporadic connections between the cards I draw and the things I was already concerned with, even if only subconsciously.

Did you know:

Placebo pills are just about as effective as SSRIs.
Patients who are prayed for tend to recover faster, but only if they *know* they’re being prayed for. (This also works for patients who aren’t being prayed for, if you lie and tell them they are.)
You really are more likely to succeed at something if you believe you will, and more likely to fail if you have no faith in yourself.

This is the part where I have to stop and say, this isn’t about “putting energy out into the universe” or any of that garbage. The Law of Attraction is bullshit. But your attitude does play a major part in your life, and one way you can consciously affect your attitude is through ritual. Including religion. *Even if you intentionally set out to do that specific thing.* The placebo effect works even if you know it’s a placebo.

(Disclaimer: The placebo effect doesn’t work on everything. It won’t keep you alive if you stick your head underwater. Also, get vaccinated.)

On the other hand

Some people will try to downplay the seriousness of their craft by saying “Oh, it’s just self-induced placebo effect, it’s not like I really believe in magic or anything.”

I find that counterproductive.

Obviously I haven’t jumped into the starseed indigo child woo-hole and emptied my brain out. But I also don’t end incantations with “So mote it be, as a result of the placebo effect.” I feel like that would lessen the effect. And since I feel that way? It probably *would*.

Besides, who cares if someone thinks I’m gullible for “believing in magic”? That’s their problem, not mine.

All that said, “placebo effect” still sounds negative even though it’s really awesome. I try not to shy away from the phrase if only to de-stigmatize it, but sometimes I wonder if another word wouldn’t be better. I sometimes think of my rituals as “psychosomagic”.

Disclaimer: This page is just describing how my belief works for me and is not meant to offend witches who do believe in the supernatural or in real magic. I’m a non-believer because I haven’t seen any evidence of magic existing, but I accept that I could be wrong. Besides, even if magic *does* exist, it probably wouldn’t work for someone who didn’t believe in it, so everything here still applies to me anyway.