Top critical review
1.0 out of 5 starsA truth distorted - placebo is real (and should be harnessed) but its more limited than described.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 July 2024
Placebo (and nocebo) are very real and intriguing phenomena, and they play a role in chronic illness and to certain extend all of our lives are shaped by our beliefs.
This is why I believe that practicing awareness and letting go of dysfunctional beliefs and intentionally aligning ourselves with potential positive beliefs should be part of an mental or physical recovery.
However, the creator of this book stretches that truth into the realm of pseudo-science, and uses just enough sciencey sounding language to fool, and I believe he does so knowingly even if the beginnings of his work was sincere.
Whether it's the uncaring dismissal of clueless medical doctors that don't know what to do with you, or people *selling* you phony science, navigating resources for recovery is a mine field.
I don't hate his method; taking your attention - like a body scan - into different areas of the body and imaging at a cellular level it healing, as a daily practice. Its a nice practice that, done with intention can soothe the nervous system and limit the negative physical toll from negative thinking - hopelessness, denial or despondancy that can come along with chronic illness. Anything that can positively connect you to your body and the posibility of healing can have a calming impact on your nervous system which does have a significant healing potential, esp if you are struggling with a disregulated nervous system. But there is a lot of scope for leading people into gaslighting themselves (or blaming themselves for lack of recovery) with this as well as the fact that it leaves people misinformed or at worst turning their attention away from other resources.
As someone who has come accross far too many people selling vulnerable people mistruths to horrible effect (like people dying because they favoured coffee enemas over actual cancer treatment) I cannot recommend this book and I'm sad that these things get so much success (and money) from a group that need real help, not a million options to scatter their attention and waste their time and money and leave them repeating stuff that will lead them to more mocking dismissal from doctors.
