How do your beliefs affect your biology?

However, in reality there were only three wines, two of which were given to the subjects twice, once at the highest price and once at the lowest price. The labels on the bottles were decorative, but did not indicate who made the wine or in what country. The subjects gave the cheapest wine the lowest scores and the most expensive wine the highest score. To corroborate the ratings, neurologists hooked the brains of the subjects to brain scanners with electrodes. When the subjects tasted the most expensive wine, the brain scans showed a higher degree of activity in the orbitofrontal cortex, the area of the brain associated with pleasure. The neurologists who conducted the test concluded that our beliefs and expectations significantly affect our taste buds. But the more significant conclusion is that our beliefs actually alter our experience at the neurological level. It is one thing for our beliefs to color how we subjectively describe what we are experiencing. But apparently, the power of belief can actually affect the way our neurons fire in our brains. Our beliefs can actually determine whether the neurons in our brain generate pleasure or pain. If you think about it, this is a startling revelation. Something intangible can affect something tangible.

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