Suggestible You audiobook cover - The Curious Science of Your Brain's Ability to Deceive, Transform, and Heal

Suggestible You

The Curious Science of Your Brain's Ability to Deceive, Transform, and Heal

Erik Vance

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Categories:
PsychologyHealth & NutritionScience

If You're Curious About These Questions...

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Suggestible You
Foundation of Suggestibility+
The Placebo Effect+
The Nocebo Effect+
Hypnosis+
False Memories+
Everyday Influence+
Harnessing the Power+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 9
According to the text, what is the primary driving force behind the brain's ability to trick itself and warp reality?
  • A. Rationalization
  • B. Expectation
  • C. Chemical imbalance
  • D. Repression
Question 2 of 9
In the example of the depressed woman treated with homeopathy, why did the 'melted snow' treatment actually work?
  • A. The water retained the chemical memory of the snow.
  • B. The cold temperature of the water shocked her nervous system.
  • C. The story linking her sadness to a cold night resonated deeply with her.
  • D. The vial contained a hidden, active antidepressant medication.
Question 3 of 9
How does the placebo effect physically relieve chronic pain in the body?
  • A. It distracts the brain's pain receptors by overloading sensory inputs.
  • B. It triggers the brain to release its own pain-killing chemicals like opioids and endorphins.
  • C. It numbs the nerve endings at the exact site of the chronic pain.
  • D. It permanently alters the genetic makeup of the patient's nervous system.
Question 4 of 9
What recent scientific discovery helps explain why placebos work for some people but not for others?
  • A. Certain genes that regulate hormones like dopamine make people more likely to respond to placebos.
  • B. People with larger frontal lobes are highly resistant to the placebo effect.
  • C. Placebo responders have a higher baseline of cortisol in their bloodstream.
  • D. The placebo effect is entirely psychological and has no genetic or biological basis.
Question 5 of 9
Why is the 'nocebo' effect often easier to induce than the placebo effect?
  • A. It relies on active chemical ingredients rather than inert ones.
  • B. It plays into our fears, which are generally more powerful than our hopes.
  • C. It is only triggered by physical trauma rather than psychological suggestion.
  • D. It requires a much smaller dose of medication to take effect.
Question 6 of 9
Which of the following is true about hypnosis, according to the text?
  • A. It gives the hypnotist complete control over the subject's free will.
  • B. It works equally well on 100 percent of the human population.
  • C. It is most effective for people who naturally have slower electrical brain waves.
  • D. It relies on rapid eye movement (REM) to induce a deep sleep state.
Question 7 of 9
According to the text's explanation of memory, why are false memories so common?
  • A. The brain's 'hard drive' frequently deletes old files to make room for new ones.
  • B. Short-term memory has a strict limit of seven items at any given time.
  • C. The encoding stage often skips important details if a person is tired.
  • D. Every time a memory is retrieved, the brain has to reconstruct it anew.
Question 8 of 9
In the 2010 milkshake experiment, what happened when participants believed they were drinking a low-calorie diet shake?
  • A. They produced more of the hunger hormone ghrelin than those who thought they drank a high-calorie shake.
  • B. They reported feeling significantly more nauseous due to the nocebo effect.
  • C. Their bodies metabolized the calories twice as fast as the other group.
  • D. They completely lost their appetite for the remainder of the day.
Question 9 of 9
When attempting to harness the power of expectation and alternative therapies in your own life, what is one of the primary ground rules the author emphasizes?
  • A. Always replace traditional medicine with homeopathic remedies.
  • B. Avoid spending excessive amounts of money on unproven treatments.
  • C. Only use treatments that have been endorsed by a certified hypnotist.
  • D. Disregard scientific journals, as they cannot accurately measure the placebo effect.

Suggestible You — Full Chapter Overview

Suggestible You Summary & Overview

Suggestible You (2016) shows the amazing ways our expectations affect our body’s responses to illness, pain and memory. It explores how the power of human suggestibility changes the processes that happen in our bodies and minds. And it describes how humans can – and already do – harness this ability to improve lives, whether in medicine or in everyday life.

Who Should Listen to Suggestible You?

  • Everyone interested in how the human mind works
  • People who don’t believe in miraculous cures but are curious about the science behind them
  • Anyone who’s ever wondered about the body’s ability to heal itself

About the Author: Erik Vance

Erik Vance is an award-winning science writer. He has a degree in biology and worked as a researcher, educator, and environmental consultant before starting a career as a journalist in 2005. His work has been published in Harper’s Magazine, the New York Times, Scientific American, and National Geographic. He is also a contributing editor at Discover magazine.

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