Is it possible to defeat a disease with the power of thought? This question only seems simple. It is well known that the theme of the “healing mind” is firmly saddled with gurus, healers and other shamans; logically, due to this circumstance alone, serious scientists cannot be lenient towards “alternative medicine.” But here’s the paradox: it was serious scientists, prominent representatives of many fields of science, who experimentally proved that thought, emotion, faith are capable of bringing the most real health benefits: relieve symptoms of illness, increase immunity, reduce the risk of serious illness... This book is a guide to a wide field of ideas, from hypnosis to meditation, from placebos to positive visualization. Drawing on the latest research, Jo Marchant clears these ideas of pseudoscientific husk - and introduces the reader to self-healing methods based on them that actually work.