I listened to a BBC radio show on the placebo effect. It is experimentally demonstrated.
In one trial half were given rel pain killers, others a placebo.
The placebo did effect pain reduction. In some cases even when told it was a placebo some people needed the placebo for pain reduction.
The show staed with the 19th century Mesmer. He used hypnosis along with some kind of bogus magnetic device. When one person had convulsions and the report spread it became a common experience.
Back in the day I read about an LSD study that was don before it became illegal. In a room half given LSD half a placebo. Peole in the placebo group reported having the same experiences as reported by those taking real LSD.
As to faith healing, the link between mental states and the immune system is known. Religion can lead to less stress.
I like to think it is not what you believe but how you believe it. A Rosary is a Catholic mantra.
I read a lengthy article at a medical site a few years ago that mentioned that some people were helped by placebos even when they were told they were being given a placebo. I wish I could say that they worked for me, so I wouldn't have to take as much analgesic medications. Perhaps atheists aren't as receptive to the placebo effect as believers are.
Yes. Religion is often listed as a factor in lowering the risk of some diseases, but considering how many religious folks end up with serious illnesses including dementia, I doubt that religion helps as much as some think. I tend to think that religion helps one establish a supportive social community and that reduces stress. Not having a decent support system is considered a risk factor for disease.
I do think that rosary beads or worry beads as my husband likes to call them do help some people. His late Catholic grandmother was never without her beads. She would sit and pray quite often while manipulating her worry beads. She lived to be 95 despite being obese and having some serious medical conditions. Perhaps the beads did help her cope with life's stress, or it could have been her positive personality that helped her live so long. Stress can certainly be a risk factor when it comes to life expectancy. Negative people often seem more stressed to me, compared to those who are able to maintain a positive outlook.