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Placebo Effect from Reading Horoscopes Can Lead to Physical and Psychological Benefits, Study Proves

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5 years ago

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Placebo Effect from Reading Horoscopes Can Lead to Physical and Psychological Benefits, Study Proves

In this stressful, data-driven era, many more people are finding comfort and insight in the Zodiac, even if they don’t fully believe in it. Over the last couple of years, websites have seen their horoscope pages more than double in popularity.

Though much of it still relies on inane comments explaining away your indecision with the fact that you’re a Gemini, millenials in particular have taken astrology and run with it. And the science says it’s making them smarter. To be clear, we’re not suggesting that astrology is a science – there’s no evidence that one’s zodiac sign correlates to personality – but researchers do believe that it can have a quantifiable, positive impact upon your mind.

A study presented in Personality and Individual Differences has linked the placebo effect to horoscopes. In psychological terms, the placebo effect refers to something that has no known influence, but can impact someone both physically and psychologically.

While only a minority actually follow astrology, many non-believers know their star signs and are exposed daily. The research shows that when someone reads their horoscope, they unconsciously form expectations of the upcoming period, and then behave accordingly. After reading a positive horoscope, for example, people have then been shown to perform better at work.

Basically, the brain sees “there is a promotion in your future” and kicks into overdrive to help make it a reality. So keep your Mystic Meg column close at hand and reach for the stars.

Alexander Spatari//Getty Images

Make Mind Gains

There a more benefits to the placebo effect than those in your horoscope

Yellow pills = Happy pills

Doctors have found that you better benefit from medication that’s a colour they think will help it to work. Yellow is effective against depression, white soothes stomachs.

Optimism = Longer life

People with a positive outlook on life and their health, who believed they were going to survive longer, were found to live 11% longer than pessimists.

New clothes = New gains

Through a process called enclothed cognition, buying and wearing expensive training gear has been proven to help you perform better in the gym.

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