The answer is that the placebo effect is about far more than just the pill; it is about the cultural meaning of the treatment. Pills don’t simply manifest themselves in your stomach; they are given in particular ways, they take varying forms, and they are swallowed with expectations, all of which have an impact on a person’s beliefs about his own health and, in turn, on outcome. Homeopathy is, for example, a perfect example of the value in ceremony.
