Isn't part of the problem with placebo is that it's unreliable? Eg, if you can give me a way to achieve some amazing pain relief as a result of placebo, every

Isn't part of the problem with placebo is that it's unreliable? Eg, if you can give me a way to achieve some amazing pain relief as a result of placebo, every time, it feels to me like this crosses the line from placebo to medicine. The mind can do some crazy things, but we need to make it do these things reliably. I don't want a placebo form of anesthesia only to have it not work mis surgery haha. If however you can replace anesthesia with a placebo (purely as an example).. i almost feel like it's real medicine then. A technique to replace chemicals sure, but testable and reliable.