[dramatic music playing] [Michael]<i>
This is McGill University</i> <i> in Montreal, Canada.</i> It boasts an enrollment of more
than 40,000 students from 150 countries. The campus employs
1,700 professors teaching 300 programs
of study, and it's proud to be home
to 12 Nobel Prize winners. It is considered
one of the finest research universities
in the world. Recently, researchers at McGill
have embarked on a study that uses a brain scanning
device to read people's minds and implant thoughts
into their heads. Or so their subjects think. Now, the same device may be able
to help kids with ADHD, anxiety,
obsessive-compulsive disorder, migraines,
Tourette's and more. This study is not
about technology. The MRI machine behind me
may look impressive, but it's a sham. It's deactivated,
nonfunctioning. What this study
is really about is faith in science. It's about the power
of thoughts to heal. All you need is the power
of suggestion. [theme music playing] A placebo is something
that shouldn't work, but due to the power
of suggestion and because of the strength
of our belief, does. But we don't fully understand
yet how they work. <i> There could be
an evolutionary explanation.</i> <i> For example, if a small child
hurts themselves,</i> <i> negative symptoms like pain
and crying can be good.</i> <i> They keep the child safe
and still</i> <i> while signaling adults
to come help.</i> <i> When help arrives,</i> <i> even if it
has no active effect,</i> <i> the child's brain may feel</i> <i> it has permission to redirect</i> <i> resources away
from seeking help</i> <i> and onto actually healing.</i> <i> Modern medicine has found
a way to harness this power</i> <i> by prescribing placebos.</i> But not all placebos work
the same. For example, a sugar pill
will help your headache more if given to you by a doctor than by a poker buddy. And the color
of the placebo matters, too. A blue pill will work
to make you feel calm better than a white pill because blue
is a more calming color. And a red pill
will keep you awake and give you more energy than a blue pill will. A capsule will work
better than a pill because it looks
more important. Also, an injection will work
better than a capsule because it seems
more serious and potent. There's even evidence
that fake or sham surgeries have positive effects. It may be fake medicine, but the effects can be real. And not just because the patient
feels better psychologically. We're talking
real physical healing, thanks to the power
of the brain. <i> I traveled to Montreal</i> <i> to meet local children
struggling</i> <i> with debilitating behavioral</i> <i> and neurological conditions</i> <i> who would soon find out
whether their afflictions</i> <i> could be cured
by the power of suggestion.</i> -This is Malaya.
-Hi. Malaya. I'm Michael.
Nice to meet you. <i> Twelve-year-old Malaya
suffers from a common</i> <i> skin ailment, eczema.</i> <i> But she has also developed</i> <i> a skin picking disorder,
dermatillomania.</i> You're starting high school
what, like this year? Early September. Wow, that's a big step. So, what kind of things,
like, worry you, uh, given the symptoms
that you have? Probably the picking. -Of your skin?
-[Malaya] Yeah. I don't know, I find
it satisfying to pick. It's kind of gross. Why do you think
you can't stop? I'm not sure. Have you tried
different things that'll help you stop? Yeah. Like, in my mind, I'm just like,
"Today you won't pick. You are gonna get rid
of this eczema." And then after,
I'm just like, "Oh, wait. My face is,
like, bleeding." -Yeah. Is it embarrassing?
-Yeah. I like to wear long sleeves
because my arms are, like, if they're really bad,
I'm gonna try to wear
long sleeves. How are your arms now? It's, like, really bad.
So, as you can see-- And it's all just
from scratching and picking? Yeah. <i> Twelve-year-old Nicholas
was troubled</i> <i> by debilitating
migraine headaches.</i> So, what do you wanna
be when you grow up? Like, I really,
really wanna be, uh, probably like an NHL
or an MLB player, one of those two. <i> Nicholas's love of sports
is unfortunately also</i> <i> the original source
of his suffering.</i> Nice. My first head injury,
which was concussion, I hit my head
on a soccer post. And then I hit my head
in a game of, uh, hockey. Uh, after that, I had headaches
every single day. I was throwing up,
having auras-- they're like, uh, colors that you see before
you have a headache. I wasn't able to go
to school, and then we went
to the hospital and into their
concussion program. Can I see
his migraine chart? Oh, sure. Yeah. We have
almost two years' worth. Severe headaches here,
severe migraines. -[Michael] Every day?
-[Danielle] Every single day. This has turned
his world upside down. <i> Nathan was diagnosed with ADHD</i> <i> and impulse control disorder.</i> I'd love to hear especially
about you, Nathan. First of all,
how old are you? -Nine.
-[Michael] Nine. -How old you are?
-[Michael] How old
do you think I am? -Thirty.
-That's a very good guess. -I'm 31.
-Ooh. So, tell me about, like,
before Nathan's diagnosis. What were kind of the symptoms
you were seeing? Tantrums all the time, um, just an inability
to reach him, to communicate to him,
to connect to him, that was the main symptom. And what did you
think of this, Nathan? Were you like, "Why are
my parents not happy?" -Why weren't you?
-[Nathan] I don't know. Maybe because I have problems. And as far as,
like, behavior. Impulsivity,
hyperactivity, and you're always,
always on the edge, always stressed--
what is he gonna touch, where is he gonna go,
what is he gonna do. <i> These families had tried
conventional methods</i> <i> to treat their children
with little success.</i> <i> But they were about
to find out</i> <i> whether their symptoms
could be alleviated</i> <i> using an accessory-assisted
placebo,</i> <i> a fake non-functioning
MRI machine.</i> <i> This groundbreaking study
of the power of suggestion</i> <i> and action is the brainchild
of pioneering researchers</i> <i> at McGill University's
esteemed Raz Lab.</i> We study a whole bunch
of different mind-body interaction topics--
suggestion, hypnosis, placebo effects. Anytime the mind is regulating
the body or vice versa, that's a topic
that we study. Now, you said
the word "placebo." And the device
that we are using is a sham scanner. <i> Tell me about
the scanner.</i> [Jay]<i> What we do
with the MRI scanners is</i> we stack so many different
layers of deception. In their head, this is
a proper neuroscience study done at the neurological
institute. And that's why we wear
lab coats. That's why we have
all of this scientific-looking
equipment. By the time they've actually
started the study, they've already in their mind built up all these different
layers of credibility. They really believe that
what we're doing is real. [Dr. Veissiere] What's
interesting is that children, they're not immune to the power
of neuroenchantment. -Neuroenchantment?
-Neuroenchantment. -What does that mean?
-So, it's this idea that there is some kind
of medical magic. There is immense power
that is attached to the culture
of neuroscience <i> whereby neuroscientific props
and accessories</i> <i> have more healing power,</i> <i> more physiological effects,</i> because culturally
people believe that they do. I mean, the same kind
of cultural cognitive mechanisms are at play
in religious systems. So, here we are praying
to the gods of neuroscience and biomedicine. Talk to me about
the ethics of lying. The work we do
with children actually does not
involve lying. We tell them at first
that everything that they see and everything that we do
in the lab is a suggestion. We explain to them
that suggestion is a way to tap into the power
of their mind. We keep emphasizing even
as they go in the scanner that it is their mind
and their brain
that is doing the healing, that they're basically
reprogramming their own brain. <i> The parents knew
that the scanner was a placebo.</i> <i> But for the study to work,
the children</i> <i> had to believe
in the procedure.</i> <i> So, before they visited
the lab,</i> <i> I enlisted
a few YouTuber friends</i> <i> to help raise
their expectations.</i> [Veronica]<i> Hey, guys.</i> <i>Today, we have
a huge surprise for you</i> <i>about something
brand new in science</i> <i>that could affect you!</i> Oh, I know them. <i> Well, today,
we learned about</i> <i> this amazing new machie</i> <i> that teaches kids' brais</i> <i> how to heal super-fas.</i> <i> We really hope that you get
the chance in person</i> <i> to see how
this machine works.</i> <i>With a little help
from the machine,</i> <i>you can focus better,
be more confident.</i> <i>-And it can even take away
some headaches.
-Awesome.</i> [Vanessa]<i> Not too many
people get the chance</i> <i> to have this
awesome experience,</i> <i> but we hear
the scientists in Canada--</i> -I'm going to have it?
-Yeah. And it's very cool. So, what do you hope
the machine allows you to do
that makes you better at? Better at concentrating, better at focusing. I wanna heal faster, and this will probably
be a good idea. I hope it heals me up
with my concussions and then I hope
my headaches go away. <i> I was about to take part
in something remarkable,</i> <i> the very first use of
accessory-assisted suggestion</i> <i>on children with these kinds of
symptoms.</i> Mind Field<i> would play
an integral role in the study.</i> <i> And the results could be</i> <i>new and significant for science</i> <i> On the day
of the first session,</i> <i> several measures
were put in place</i> <i> to heighten the children's
neuroenchantment.</i> -Nathan.
-Nathan, Nathan. <i> A friendly fake nurse,</i> <i> a walk down a long,
impressive hallway...</i> [sighs] <i> ...and a ten-minute
anticipation</i> <i> building wait
outside the lab.</i> <i> Then it was time
for their first scan.</i> Shall we? <i> While the hypothesis
of this study</i> <i> was grounded in science,</i> <i> this was Dr. Veissiere</i> <i> and Jay Olson's first time</i> <i> testing their theory
on real children</i> <i> with real disorders,</i> <i> and they didn't know
if it would work.</i> You may lie down
if you'd like. <i> One of my roles was
to help build up</i> <i> the children's belief
that it would work.</i> As you go into the machine,
you'll relax more and more. Would you like to relax
slowly or quickly today? -Uh, I can go in quickly.
-Oh, wow, nice. Very good. <i> Although the MRI scanner</i> <i> was completely deactivated,</i> <i> we needed the kids to believe</i> <i> -it was fully functional. </i>
-[machine beeps] <i> So Jay played a series
of realistic sound effects</i> <i> to signify that
the machine was working,</i> <i> while Dr. Veissiere
planted the suggestion</i> <i> that it would help
the patient heal.</i> You might notice
some unusual feelings, perhaps a tingling. Your brain
is continuing to learn, and to heal,
and to help you find this constant feeling
of confidence. <i> If all went well,</i> <i> the placebo effect
of the sham brain scanner</i> <i> would convince
the children's conscious minds</i> <i> that real neuroscience
was at work.</i> Take a deep, deep breath. <i> This would allow
their subconscious minds</i> <i> to harness the power
of their brains</i> <i> to heal themselves.</i> For people with migraines,
it's often in the front or the back part of the head, but it could also
be like a feeling like outside the head. So I'm not sure what it's
gonna be like for you. We'll find out afterwards. So, we'll now slide you in. Cool, it's like
a roller coaster. I love roller coasters. The deeper you go in,
the more you'll relax. Okay. I wanna go
all the way deep. [machine beeps] I know. This is because you're
already at level three. You might notice
that deeper feeling of relaxation. Yes. Yes. <i> The scientists at McGill</i> <i> believe that children's brains</i> <i> have always had the ability</i> <i> to control their symptoms.</i> <i> The children just needed
to believe it themselves.</i> [machine beeps] [sneezes] Yeah. So the beeps can
sometimes make people sneeze as a sign of their relaxing
just very deeply. Right. Very well. You did very,
very well, Nathan. <i> The children all appeared
to enjoy the procedure,</i> <i> and the researchers and I
did our best</i> <i> to reinforce
their neuroenchantment.</i> So when you heard
the first set of beeps
and the second set of beeps, did you notice feeling
them in different parts
of your body? Well, the first time
I went in the machine, I kind of felt it here. -Okay. Good.
-What level was
she taken to today? Level two. -Level two.
-Yeah. Level two is great. -Uh-hmm.
-Yeah. When I was in the machine,
I felt like I was going, like, backwards
and forwards. Okay. That's very good.
That's a very good sign. You might have noticed
how you were yawning. That's great. <i> For a kid
with hyperactivity,</i> <i> Nathan was already
appearing calmer.</i> <i> But before our young subjects
left the lab,</i> <i> Dr. Veissiere
bolstered the suggestion</i> <i> that today's session
would help them</i> <i> continue
their healing process.</i> [Dr. Veissiere]
So I know for sure that you're gonna
be more relaxed, much, much less anxious. I would not
be surprised at all if the scratching
really diminished to no scratching at all. The amazing thing
about the brain is that it has
this fantastic power
to heal itself. But now what we've
been able to do here with the power
of suggestion is to get your brain
to work faster and better
all the time. So how do you feel? -Amazing.
-Oh, nice. Mind Field<i>
provided the Raz Lab</i> <i> with Octopus
by JOY smart watches.</i> [Nathan] Leftie rules. <i> They were specially programmed</i> <i> to remind the children
in between visits</i> <i> that their brain
was healing itself.</i> [Dr. Veissiere] Just having
the watch with you will make you feel better. But it's not the watch
or it's not the machine that's making you feel good, it's your own brain. <i> In six weeks,
we would return to the lab</i> <i> to check in on their progress.</i> [dramatic music playing] This high-tech contraption
is pretty much what McGill University's first
sham brain scanner looked like. It was an old discarded
hair dryer. But the patients
didn't know that. In the original study,
56 undergraduate students were told that it was able
to reduce pain, cause amnesia,
influence sexual attraction, and produce various
other impressive effects. <i> The lab's new, more modern
sham brain scanner</i> <i> shows even more promise.</i> And I was invited
to participate in its test on a whole new group
of adult subjects. Okay, so you can come in here
and just grab a seat. Yes. These college students are fully
aware of what's possible today with
neuroscience. Could even they be
neuroenchanted enough to believe in the impossible, that an MRI scanner could read
their thoughts? Now, we're looking
at cutting-edge -psychological research.
-Okay. Yes. It's part of the neural
activation mapping project. We're gonna be putting
you in an MRI. So, uh, it's a modified one,
it's called the CTMSF MRI. -Okay.
-So, Combined Transcranial
Magnetic Stimulation Functional Magnetic
Resonance Imaging, which is a big word just
meaning it can both read -and influence thoughts.
-All right. Okay. So, you'll be choosing
a number from 10 to 99. -Okay.
-[Jay] And then
from looking at your, uh, neural activation
patterns, Dr. Veissiere here
will try to infer -which number you're thinking.
-Hmm, interesting. -Okay.
-Okay, great. <i> Most adults know
the basics about MRIs,</i> <i> so we made sure to cover
every detail.</i> In the scanner,
the magnetism is a lot less. That's good
for documentary team;
they can bring a camera. So, that said,
we do have to remove
the metal glasses. -Got it. All this? <i>
-After this realistic,</i> <i> but completely
unnecessary step,</i> <i> it was time to begin our fake
mind-reading experiment.</i> So, we're gonna start
the calibration. So, try to stay
very still. <i> Of course there was actually
nothing to calibrate,</i> <i> but we were conditioning
our subjects</i> <i> with the expected
procedures, sights,</i> <i> and sounds
of a real MRI study.</i> [machine sounds] Okay. Think
of the number one. <i> The subjects
were asked to concentrate</i> on the numbers zero to nine. <i> while the machine supposedly</i> <i> mapped parts of their brains.</i> Think of the number nine. <i> Dr. Veissiere
and I remained in character</i> <i> at all times,
pretending to analyze</i> <i> the subject's brain activity.</i> <i> But the images on our screens</i> <i> were actually old MRI scans
from former patients.</i> -Is the calibration good?
-Looks pretty good to me. <i> With our subject now primed,</i> <i> it was time
to convince her</i> <i> that the scanner
could identify a number</i> <i> she was thinking of
by reading her mind.</i> [Jay] You're gonna choose
a number from 10 to 99. -Okay.
-You're gonna hear a beep. Then you'll hear
a second beep. So you're always
making your decision -between the two beeps.
-Okay. -Okay?
-Got it. -So I'll slide you in.
-Mm-hmm. [machine sounds] [machine beeps] [machine beeps] So hold on to that number
for just a second. -Okay.
-Um, uh, they're gonna print -it out and then we'll see.
-Okay. It was pretty clear-- <i> We pretended to give Jay</i> <i> the results
of the MRI's analysis,</i> <i> but actually Jay was about
to add the subject's number</i> <i> to the document
with a little sleight of hand.</i> Okay. So you can stay lying
down just for a second. -What was the number?
-Thirty-one. Thirty-one. Uh, okay, cool. So if you can sit up here. What? [Jay] But it's pretty close,
but it swapped, huh? Yeah. Okay. <i> That miss
was actually intentional</i> <i> so that the results
didn't appear to be perfect,</i> <i> adding to the realism.</i> So, um, are you
doing well? We'll do-- we'll do
another trial with this. The same thing, okay?
Slide you in. [machine sounds] <i> Michelle thought
of a new number.</i> <i> Would the scanner
get it right this time?</i> -Super clear.
-It's clear. Really good this time. [Jay] All right.
They think the signal is clear. -What was your number?
-Twenty-seven. Uh, 27, did you say? -Twenty-seven.
-Oh, okay, great. Yeah. So, uh,
if you can sit up here. Yes. Oh, wow. What? I don't understand. Crazy. -So, you chose 27.
-I did. And the technician
thought 27 as well. -Yeah. Okay.
-Yeah. -[Michelle] All right.
-Oh, wow. How does that feel? Um, I didn't expect it
to be so specific. -Yeah.
-Um, a lot of different areas in the brain
could be lighting up just to think of
the concept of a number. <i> What do you know, it worked.</i> <i> Thanks to the wonders
of science,</i> <i> or rather the skills of Jay,</i> <i> who in addition to being
a neuroscientist</i> <i> happens to be a professional
magician on the side.</i> <i> While Jay won't reveal
the secret of the trick--</i> <i> the mind-reading illusion</i> <i> is very similar
to the mentalist's tricks</i> <i>that have entertained audiences
for over a century.</i> <i> The only difference
is that when audiences</i> <i> see the stunt performed
in a magic setting,</i> <i> they think it's a great trick,</i> <i> not real science.</i> -The machine had 89.
-[laughs] That's cool. <i> However, in the impressive
scientific setting</i> <i> of the Raz Lab,
these subjects thought</i> <i> our magic trick
was real science.</i> -[Jay] Right here.
-Oh, my God. <i> They didn't realize
that the real science</i> <i> -they were experiencing... </i>
-It's pretty cool. <i>...was the power of suggestion.</i> Oh, wow. A dose of neuroenchantment this
powerful <i> can make for a formidable</i> and effective placebo. I wanna talk about
the physical sensation. -Sure.
-What was your experience? It felt like a headache
was coming on. It sort of felt
like, uh, like, -tingling through my head.
-Up where? Uh, just through this area, like, this whole area
felt more like full. I felt like,
uh, sort of, uh, a pressure or something
like that. It was, uh,
a strange feeling. -Like, back here a little bit.
-In the back? Yeah, a little bit
in the back. Somewhere in the back
of the head? Interesting. Oh, okay. I wanna hear
what it felt like to have your mind read. That was very strange. I think I was
probably skeptical, like, going into it,
and then I couldn't figure out as I
was thinking, like, why-- how that would
happen otherwise, and so, I'm just,
I think, in a baffled state. Yeah, yeah. <i> It was time to clear up</i> <i> this baffling mystery.</i> So, some deception
has been going on today. Dr. Olsen is, uh,
not reading your mind. Neither is this machine. -This machine is deactivated.
-How? Okay. All the noises
were coming from a speaker. It was an illusion?
Oh, my God. That's pretty cool. Dr. Olsen is, uh,
not reading your mind. -No.
-The sounds you're hearing are not magnets,
it's just from a speaker. The machine in there
is actually deactivated, -it's not working.
-Wow, it's like placebo? [Dr. Veissiere] Yeah, yeah.
That's exactly what it is. Now imagine tapping
into this power
for other effects -like healing, for example.
-Right. Wow. I definitely believe the placebo effect
is alive and well. ♪ There's evidence
that the power of suggestion even works on animals. A study at North Carolina
State University found that 86% of dogs receiving real seizure
medication had a reduction in seizures. But almost as many,
a full 79%, experience the same effect
from just a placebo pill. And we don't know how a placebo
affects a dog's brain, but it could be that dogs
have learned to associate vet visits
and medicine from humans with feeling better. So, giving them a placebo could help a dog's brain
heal itself. [Dr. Veissiere]<i> So first
I'll ask you to lie down again.</i> And of course,
you're total pro at this. <i> For several weeks,</i> <i> the children
had undergone sessions</i> <i> in the sham scanner
at McGill University.</i> The body continues to relax as we keep unleashing
this healing energy. <i> Each time
they were reminded</i> <i> that through concentration
and relaxation,</i> <i> they were helping heal
their own brains.</i> Here we go. <i> Finally, after six weeks</i> <i> of receiving
the placebo sessions,</i> <i> it was time to get a report
on the results.</i> <i>Malaya suffered from anxiety</i> <i>and a compulsive
skin picking disorder.</i> <i> Had she experienced
any level of success?</i> -It's good to see you.
-It's good to see you. Go ahead
and take a seat. You're wearing,
like, not even-- I thought maybe you'd
have short sleeves on. You've just got
a tank top on. Your arms look fantastic.
They've really gotten better. And your face--
I mean, all of it. Why do you think
you're better? -I'm guessing it's the machine.
-Yeah, what about it? Uh, I'm not really sure
how it works, but I'm picking
a lot less. Sometimes if I see,
like, a tiny flake, I'll just leave it there. That's a pretty
short amount of time for such a big change
in the way you think
and behave. That's awesome. I don't really feel
the urge to do it as much as I did before. So it's a big improvement,
I guess. Yeah, that definitely feels
like and sounds like your brain
being powerful. [Malaya] It's obviously
doing something because my arms are better. Well, you seem
a lot more confident. Holding your head up higher. Would you agree,
Anne Marie? Yes. She seems
less anxious. She's more
positive overall. -I was hoping for this...
-It's wonderful to see. ...more than this
to see her going. Yeah.
Well, good work. <i> And as for Nicholas
and his migraine headaches...</i> -Hey.
-Hi. It's good to see
you again, Nicholas. Tell me about the procedure
and how you felt afterwards. It accomplished all the things
that I wanted it to, and, I haven't had
a migraine at all. That's awesome. And concentration is
a big thing that helped. Wow. And can I see
the symptom charts? -For sure.
-So these go back to February? Yeah, well,
they're really telling. And you can see not good,
lots going on. But then recently,
no migraines at all. -That's incredible.
-Yeah. So, now, you said you went
to the neurologist? They thought
it was quite remarkable. He hasn't needed any,
uh, rescue medication, he hasn't need the preventer, um, and he's not
having migraines. I'm actually really
excited for high school. <i> Both Malaya
and Nicholas attribute</i> <i> their improvements
to the sham scanner.</i> <i> They believed
it was working for them,</i> <i> and indeed, it did.</i> <i> So, how did Nathan,
who suffered from ADHD</i> <i> and impulse control disorder,</i> <i> fare over the last six weeks?</i> <i> Well, I received a home video
from Nathan's mother</i> <i> with an update on his progres.</i> So, um, the best part about
going through the treatment was, um, just what
it did to our son. <i> We noticed a difference
in Nathan</i> <i> immediately
after the first session.</i> And do you remember
what happened? -I slept.
-Yeah. He slept. Something he doesn't do
very often during the day. He slept for two hours. Um, he was refreshed.
It was just incredible to see. And then what happened
was the entire summer we had him off the medicine, and he did great. He thought about stuff
before he did it, we were able
to talk things out, and, uh, it's been fun. So overall, we're
very pleased and, you know, we just-- we had such
a great experience, so thank you very much. <i> The children's results
are encouraging,</i> and a powerful sign of how
effective suggestions, and our willingness to believe
them can be. In time, the kids will
understand how all of the power was within them, and not in the
scanner. This work is
truly cutting-edge. This hasn't
been done before. Correct.
We also think of this as a great new way
to do science
and to collaborate. So much more of the public
will see what's being done. Yes. Science isn't just
about publishing a paper
that nobody reads. It's about spreading
the ideas that you find. -Hundred percent.
-As far as I'm concerned, you're already
a co-author in our scientific
experimental paper. Wow, very cool.
Thank you. The children's improvements
were caused by the placebo effect, and no deception
was used to mask that. The parents knew
the machine was deactivated, and the children
were only told that it had the power
to put a suggestion in their brain, a suggestion that ultimately came
from themselves. But surely, the more people
learn about placebos and their lack
of intrinsic power, the less effective
they'll be, right? No. Studies show
that even when subjects learn that their treatment
was a placebo, the positive results
do not go away. What the subjects have learned about how to heal themselves remains with them. It was an honor to have been
a part of this study. I think this is<i> Mind Field </i>
at its best, using our resources
to help researchers with their work
and helping the public see how the brain is studied. Placebos can't fix everything, but these kids
always had the power to start healing. All they needed was the power of suggestion. And as always,
thanks for watching. [theme music playing]
