Why did Angelina Jolie get a double mastectomy? ‘Medical hexing,’ says Dr. Lissa Rankin, who presented her own theory- the amazing power of the placebo effect in healing the body. Conversely, she introduces the idea of a nocebo effect and it’s potential ability to derail our natural self-healing mechanisms that kill cancer cells, fight infections, repair broken proteins, and also influence our genes. Dr. Mario Martinez who put together the ‘mind body code’ concept, also talks about medical hexing. He says we co-author the script of our cultural editors, shaping our beliefs about illness. If the doctor’s words are positive, they can plant within you, at a very deep level, positive expectations that you will avert or beat cancer, But this works in reverse as well. A doctor could literally sentence you to death by using the dreaded word ‘terminal’. Angelina bought into the idea that because her mom had breast cancer that she would surely get it. She was so convinced, that she had a double mastectomy, buying into the bizarre notion that removing her breasts would some how prevent future cancer ( like it couldn’t crop up in her lungs, liver, or in her blood). This poor woman, with all her fame and money and access to the greatest healers in the world, chose the most brutal, final, solution to her breasts, but what the heck this did to prevent cancer, I surely do not understand. In my thinking, if you prepare for cancer you will attract cancer. If you buy into the notion that you might ‘inherit’ it, then you probably will. If someone tells you you are ugly, you will feel ugly, but if you reverse it, a compliment can send a rush of dopamine straight to your head top! Words can hex you, bring you down, or lift you up.
How does this apply to addiction? One thing that has always bothered me is the negative affirmations folks declare at AA meetings, such as; “Hello, my name is Jane and I’m an alcoholic”. It seems clear to me that if you say it every day, you will surely eventually live up to your words. Or when a doctor or counselor tells you at every meeting “You have got to face it- you will be battling this for the rest of your life” then you probably will. But what about saying things like this “Hello my name is Jane and I am here to support all alcoholics in their quest for recovery, which will be achieved”, or “Hello my name is Jane and I am successfully overcoming alcoholism.” Somehow the positive sets better with me, and is totally non-hexing.
Dr. Mario Martinez tells a great story about medical hexing; A man was very ill and went into the hospital for tests. The doctor found that the man was terminal and sent the priest in to give him his last rites. The man died 15 minutes later. But oops, the priest accidentally gave the last rites to the wrong man. The real terminally ill patient lived on for 2 more weeks. The power of the word is mighty, and I rest my case.