I usually try to say as much as I can with as few words as possible however I feel my point has been missed
*** Rbi8 James 1:5-8 ***
5 So, if any one of YOU is lacking in wisdom, let him keep on asking God, for he gives generously to all and without reproaching; and it will be given him. 6 But let him keep on asking in faith, not doubting at all, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and blown about. 7 In fact, let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from Jehovah; 8 he is an indecisive man, unsteady in all his ways.
placebo effect
An effect usually, but not necessarily, beneficial that is attributable to an expectation that the regimen will have an effect, i.e., the effect is due to the power of suggestion.
Placebo : an inert medicament or preparation given for its psychological effect esp to satisfy the patient or to act as a control in an experiment series. Something tending to soothe or gratify
The placebo requires faith to work. A belief that it will do some good. If you have that positive belief your mind is able to manufacture a cure or the perception of a cure.
Examples are the aboriginals of northern Australia. If the witch doctor pointed the bone at them they new they would die. So the went of to die. They believed it!
Hypnosis is another example of the power of the mind. Or the minds ability to deceive itself.
Psycho Cybernetics – psyching yourself up is widely accepted in sports. You probably know the stuff. Think winner and you will be one.
I used to believe in a higher power, but one day I decided to stop praying. I found that my life went just as well as before. I realized that I was just talking to myself through all those years of praying - mentally psyching myself up for success. My main experiment was my first public talk - I didn't even pray right before my talk like I had for so many talks before. As it turned out, it was one of my best talks ever - no need for a higher power there.
My personal understanding is as rem suggested. Prayer is just psyching yourself up. I think the Placebo Effect, Psycho Cybernetics, Reticular Activation System, Self Hypnoses or whatever you want to call it are all very closely related if not the same thing. And that his how we get sucked into mind control cults. We initially want it to be true because it sounds so nice. so we start psyching ourselves into believing it. We start blocking out what we don’t want to hear.
I don’t think it’s a good idea to accept something as fact just because we want it to be fact.
