Imaginary Placebo Intake for Disgust Regulation: A Neuroscience Study

A recent study conducted by Anne Schienle compared the effects of a placebo pill and an imaginary pill in reducing visually induced disgust. The study involved 99 female participants who either ingested a placebo pill, imagined taking a pill, or passively viewed repulsive and neutral images. The results indicated that the imaginary placebo intake was more effective in reducing disgust ratings and perceived efficacy compared to actually ingesting a placebo pill. This innovative approach of using imagination as a tool for emotion regulation sheds new light on the potential of placebo interventions in regulating feelings of disgust. These findings have significant implications for the development of new OLP-based interventions in clinical and non-clinical contexts. The study, published in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, provides valuable insights into the neural correlates of imaginary placebo intake for regulating disgust.