4 ms·

I was just talking to someone about this. Perturbations. Life isn't a double blind randomised placebo controlled study, mostly on rats / students / in a clini

I was just talking to someone about this. Perturbations. Life isn't a double blind randomised placebo controlled study, mostly on rats / students / in a clinical setting / lab, and therefore there's a strong case to be made that we shouldn't necessarily use that model to model our behaviour. Back to perturbations, I mean in the astronomical sense: deviation of a celestial body from a regular orbit about its primary, caused by the presence of one or more other bodies that act upon the celestial body. You go to a one or more acupuncture sessions and your life is, in a very literal sense, changed. It's not just a placebo, you actually went and did something you otherwise wouldn't have, with the intention of seeking improvement, thereby setting your life on a divergent path to what it otherwise would have been. Over time, the divergence can be drastic. This a very under appreciate power of our ability.

eyelidlessness 4y ago
My initial reaction to this was that it felt more woo than I like, but I get your meaning and I even think it was probably part of it. And it was one of several changes I made in that time, some more impactful than others. But placebo or not, I’ll also say that the physical impact was genuinely calming. And while the setting and circumstances might account for most of that—soothing music, dark room, being still for about an hour with no interruption—I also found different needle placements had noticeably different effectiveness. It’s not for everyone. I wouldn’t dream of suggesting anyone try it who wasn’t already open to it. But it did really help me, regardless of the science. And I’m grateful for it.
- TheSpiceIsLife 4y ago
  Appreciate your response, thanks.