The Mastermind Effect: How Placebos Can Boost General Intelligence


The placebo effect is when an individual experiences benefits from a “sham drug” or “sham treatment” that is otherwise not supposed to have any medical benefits.

The basic idea is that the mere suggestion that an individual is receiving an effective drug or treatment sometimes activates certain self-healing and self-boosting processes.

While most research on the placebo effect is about physical ailments, it’s only recently that psychologists have looked into the placebo effect as a possible cognitive enhancer to boost intelligence.