Watch out! That medicine will make you sick! You’ll regret taking it!” Words hold immense power over our minds and bodies. Just as Dumbo believed in the magic feather and flew across the circus tent—even after he learned the feather was a placebo, an empty talisman—our beliefs can shape our experiences in unexpected ways. However, there is a darker side to this phenomenon—the “nocebo” effect. Brace yourself as we now step into the darker shadows of the circus tent and…
