Sankalpa

A placebo (Latin: I shall please) is a sham or simulated medical intervention that can produce a (perceived or actual) improvement, called a placebo effect.  A positive response to a placebo, similar to that of an active substance, brought about by a person’s expectations of the placebo.  The real or imagined effect of a placebo, which may actually be the same effect ordinarily associated with the administration of a therapeutically active agent e.g. Prozac or St. John’s Wort.  When people are unwell, they will often begin to recover just as soon as they receive medical attention, but before the treatment could have any direct effect and even when the treatment is a sham.  Mere belief that recovery is coming can by itself bring the recovery about.