Can a placebo effect be used for physical harm on someone else? - General

I ask this because in the Stephen King's It movie, when they confront Pennywise, one of the boys of the group goes up to Pennywise and says "This is battery acid you slime", and proceeds to spray Pennywise with his asthma puffer, and Pennywise's face melts as acid was actually put on his face. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7Oe62FKlac[/media] If you skip to 6:40 in this video, you can see what I explained. Is this really possible, or is it some stupid mistake in the movie?

Uh.. Probably not. Although the mind is a powerful thing...

The punisher. blowtorch & popsicle.

[QUOTE=Karbine;18947946]The punisher. blowtorch & popsicle.[/QUOTE] No physical harm was made. And also, it's not possible. Your mind is powerful, but your face won't melt away by asthmamedicine.

I think you could certainly hurt someone with the placebo effect. Although I think that an asthma inhaler wouldn't do the trick. It'd have to be a pill or injection I reckon.

That's not the point of the movie. It isn't a placebo effect, it's the fact that the monster is whatever you think it is. The inhaler he used against "IT" was still inhaler, but when it his IT's face it had the same effect as battery acid because of the power the kid put into it against IT. It's extremely hard to explain. Stuff like that can't work in real life either. If you make someone believe it's acid it might sting or burn if you put it on them, just like if you told someone you put a piece of candy in your ass after they ate it they might get a small aftertaste of shit, but their face won't melt or nothing.

If I injected someone with water, and told them that it was cyanide, they wold no doubt be freaking out. But it'll probably wear off once they realize their not dead.

Use common sense.

[QUOTE=Caboose17;18948067]If I injected someone with water, and told them that it was cyanide, they wold no doubt be freaking out. But it'll probably wear off once they realize their not dead.[/QUOTE] Yea, they might even get sick or throw up or something, but they won't die.

[QUOTE=yawmwen;18948046]That's not the point of the movie. It isn't a placebo effect, it's the fact that the monster is whatever you think it is. The inhaler he used against "IT" was still inhaler, but when it his IT's face it had the same effect as battery acid because of the power the kid put into it against IT. It's extremely hard to explain. Stuff like that can't work in real life either. If you make someone believe it's acid it might sting or burn if you put it on them, just like if you told someone you put a piece of candy in your ass after they ate it they might get a small aftertaste of shit, but their face won't melt or nothing.[/QUOTE] "IT" is a documentary. It's based on a paper published by brilliant physicist, Dr. Stephen King. Get your facts straight. :science:

[QUOTE=The Jman Wik;18948149]"IT" is a documentary. It's based on a paper published by brilliant physicist, Dr. Stephen King. Get your facts straight. :science:[/QUOTE] Yes I studied his work at Cambridge he is a genious scientist and the gratest mind of are time. I did my dissertation based on his work in thermonuclear dynamic discharge across the space/time barriers of clown monsters who live in the sewer.

I reckon you could make someone feel pretty sick, but nothing more. EDIT: OK, it's midnight, but I've looked through my post and I can't find anything spelled wrong :geno:

[QUOTE=Caboose17;18948067]If I injected someone with water, and told them that it was cyanide, they wold no doubt be freaking out. But it'll probably wear off once they realize their not dead.[/QUOTE] Is injecting water or a small amount of air into someones blood stream safe?

mhh yes it can

[QUOTE=Ant1;18948407]Is that safe to inject water into someones blood stream? Or a small amount of air?[/QUOTE] Air I think is deadly, but water is fine I believe. The basically do that with IVs, water with some other shit in it.

[QUOTE=Ant1;18948407]Is that safe to inject water into someones blood stream? Or a small amount of air?[/QUOTE] air kills you water, as long as you arent just dumping a waterhose in there, you can take it

Injecting water into someones blood stream will just lead to osmosis occurring. However, injecting too much will cause red blood cells to burst, causing a painful death. Saline in the placebo used in injections, as the salt content is equal with that in your blood.

If you inject someone with water his blood vessels will pop

[QUOTE=yawmwen;18948448]Air I think is deadly, but water is fine I believe. The basically do that with IVs, water with some other shit in it.[/QUOTE] But if you thought the water was magma, it would burn you to death. :tinfoil:

[QUOTE=The Jman Wik;18948543]But if you thought the water was magma, it would burn you to death. :tinfoil:[/QUOTE] It might burn, but you wouldn't actually get hurt. Your brain would just make it up.

It would work if I told you that the batter acid was just an inhaler or whatever then you would be like ok but then your face would melt.

[QUOTE=yawmwen;18948763]It might burn, but you wouldn't actually get hurt. Your brain would just make it up.[/QUOTE] Your mind is so powerful that it would actually conjure up the magma. Deep down, we are all sorcerers. EDIT: [QUOTE=Mr.2007;18948827]It would work if I told you that the batter acid was just an inhaler or whatever then you would be like ok but then your face would melt.[/QUOTE] That my friend, is a switcheroo. Not a placebo.

The reason it worked in the movie was because the kids believed it would work (if I remember correctly). It was a supernatural sort of thing, not the placebo effect. [editline]11:43PM[/editline] [QUOTE=Caboose17;18948067]If I injected someone with water, and told them that it was cyanide, they wold no doubt be freaking out. But it'll probably wear off once they realize their not dead.[/QUOTE] They would have real medical consequences (not just from the placebo effect). Water injected into your bloodstream or muscle tissue is not good.

[QUOTE=The Jman Wik;18948829]Your mind is so powerful that it would actually conjure up the magma. Deep down, we are all sorcerers.[/QUOTE] Its true once time I was playing game like this when I was child and thout I stepped on lavas and my feet got burned very bad and I had to be taken to hospital in ambulance. If U tell a kid that U can see a invisible monster eating them to death and they are gonna die they will die from scare.

Some scientists gave this guy some water told him it was poison. He was dead the next day or something. (He was a death-row inmate I believe)

not PHYSICAL HARM. But self induced phychological and maybe internal harm yes.

Seriously now, this is the only thing I can think of that's similar to what the OP is talking about. [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychological_torture[/url]

[QUOTE=Auphe;18949957]Some scientists gave this guy some water told him it was poison. He was dead the next day or something. (He was a death-row inmate I believe)[/QUOTE] Link?

[QUOTE=Ant1;18948407]Is injecting water or a small amount of air into someones blood stream safe?[/QUOTE] The Air would kill by pushing platelets forward. But the water is used by doctors all the time for placebo effect treatments.

There is something called the nocebo effect, where people in double-blind trials experience negative side effects to the med being tested, but are on the fake pill. There are limits to this, though. Generally, anything more than mild aches, upset stomach, runny nose, etc. are limited to fiction. As for instant face-melting or death, forget about it.