Society for the Anthropology of Consciousness Distinguished Lecture: Consciousness, “Symbolic Healing,” and the Meaning Response
Anthropology of Consciousness September 1, 2012 DOI: 10.1111/j.1556-3537.2012.01061.x
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractSymbolic healing—responding to meaningful experiences in positive ways—can aid human healing, engaging both conscious and unconscious processes. This paper, the Society for the Anthropology of Consciousness Distinguished Lecture from 2011, reviews recent research on what is commonly called the “placebo effect” and argues that language should change: relevant aspects should instead be termed the “meaning response.”
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 9 |
| Key finding | The author argues that what is often called the placebo effect should be referred to as the “meaning response.” |
Abstract
AbstractSymbolic healing, that is, responding to meaningful experiences in positive ways, can facilitate human healing. This process partly engages consciousness and partly evades consciousness completely (sometimes it partakes of both simultaneously). This paper, presented as the Society for the Anthropology of Consciousness Distinguished Lecture at the 2011 AAA meeting in Montreal, reviews recent research on what is ordinarily (and unfortunately) called the “placebo effect.” The author makes the argument that language use should change, and the relevant portions of what is often called the placebo effect should be referred to as the “meaning response.”