We have been aware of the placebo effect for centuries, but up until about 30 years ago, the placebo effect was considered a purely psychological phenomenon. Scientists genuinely thought the placebo effect wasn’t actually making people better…people just thought they were getting better. However, today we have a very different understanding of the placebo effect. The placebo effect shows us that our mind-body connection is much more powerful than we realize. Our perception truly does shape our reality.