The Ratman is right again. Psychosomatic is strictly a medical term. Sometimes
medical terms do end up finding there way into other areas, such as a "virus". But
this has not happened to the term psychosomatic yet.
The same hold true for the term placebo which Rick W. used. At this point in time
the term is not commonly used for things other then the description of a worthless
and basically inert treatment of a disease where this treatment produces side
effects or improvements in the effects of the ideas.
For example giving someone with a really bad headache a glass of water to which a
drop of food coloring has been added or the classic "sugar" pill. The placebo
effect has always been of of my favorite things to study. I love to read what they
are when new drugs come out (made so much more available since the internet).
My favorites are the ones were a larger percentage of people show side effects to
the placebo.
Larry
Stainless Steel Rat wrote:
> * [EMAIL PROTECTED] on Fri, 18 Aug 2000
> | We all agree on that: the only bit of contention is whether the word "psycho-
> | acoustic" covers that. The word "psychosomatic" certainly does.
>
> Not really:
>
> psychosomatic
> adj : used of illness or symptoms resulting from neurosis.
>
> Psychosomatics is about emotional distress causing physical illness.
> Psychoacoustics is the science of hearing and perception of sound in all
> it's forms.
> --
> Rat <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> \ Caution: Happy Fun Ball may suddenly
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