Cure : a journey into the science of mind over body / Jo Marchant.

Includes bibliographical references.

Introduction -- 1. Faking it: why nothing works -- 2. A deviant idea: when meaning is everything -- 3. Pavlov's power: how to train your immune system -- 4. Fighting fatigue: the ultimate prison break -- 5. In a trance: imagine your gut as a river -- 6. Rethinking pain: into the ice canyon -- 7. Talk to me: why caring matters -- 8. Fight or flight: thoughts that kill -- 9. Enjoy the moment: how to change your brain -- 10. Fountain of youth: the secret power of friends -- 11. Going electric: nerves that cure -- 12. Looking for God: the real miracle of Lourdes -- Conclusion -- Notes -- Acknowledgements -- Index.

"In Cure, award-winning science writer Jo Marchant travels the world to meet the physicians, patients and researchers on the cutting edge of this new world of medicine. We learn how meditation protects against depression and dementia, how social connections increase life expectancy and how patients who feel cared for recover from surgery faster. We meet Iraq war veterans who are using a virtual arctic world to treat their burns and children whose ADHD is kept under control with half the normal dose of medication. We watch as a transplant patient uses the smell of lavender to calm his hostile immune system and an Olympic runner shaves vital seconds off his time through mind-power alone. Drawing on the very latest research, Marchant explores the vast potential of the mind’s ability to heal, lays out its limitations and explains how we can make use of the findings in our own lives. With clarity and compassion, Cure points the way towards a system of medicine that treats us not simply as bodies but as human beings." --Publisher's website.