Psychoneuroimmunology and natural healing through the brainAfter studying the placebo effect for our last article, I was very intrigued by its importance in understanding health and its implications for connection of mind and body. As I acknowledged in my previous article, the placebo effect is often documented in scientific study, but it is considered something incompletely understood and therefore unreliable by the medical community. However, what I have discovered in my research is that there appears to be an inherent reliability and therefore could be the cornerstone of the concept of mind-body healing. As most of us have experienced in our lives, especially in college, when we are the most stressed, we suddenly seem to get sick more easily and react to pain in more extreme ways. In this case, our psychological state seems to have great control over the functioning of our body (and our immune system). For another example, consider Mr. Wright's case as reported by Dr. Bruno Klopfer: Mr. Wright suffered from a very advanced generalized malignancy involving the lymph nodes, lymphosarcoma. The patient had tried every form of medication available and his condition had desperately deteriorated to the point where he found himself bedridden and short of breath. [The doctors] agreed that he only had a few days to live. Then the man heard about an experimental drug called Krebiozen, which was being tested. He insisted on being included in the experimental trials. His doctors, believing he had nothing to lose and would soon be dead anyway, out of compassion and a desire to give him the experimental drug. To their amazement, the man's tumors soon began to shrink dramatically and he was released from the hospital. Two months later, the man read news reports about Krebiozen research that raised serious doubts about the drug. Within days, the man's tumors had returned and were once again threatening his life. His doctor cleverly convinced him that a new, more powerful load had been received and proceeded with injections of plain water. His tumors began to shrink dramatically again. He remained healthy for seven more months until another news report stated that "nationwide AMA tests show Krebiozen is worthless as a cancer treatment." The man died within two days (4). It can be seen that the link between the nervous system and the immune system is very important, especially in the way attitudes and emotions are processed and at the same time can affect physiological or biochemical changes..