Just how powerful IS positive thinking?

(CBS News) 

When people recover from illnesses against all odds ... should their claims that "positive thinking" made the difference constitute PROOF POSITIVE? Turns out, not even the "experts" entirely agree on that one. Our Cover Story this morning is from Rita Braver:

Rookie New York Giants Mark Herzlich was on top of the world last weekend - starting for the very first time.

But Two years ago, Herzlich was facing a much bigger challenge than winning a football game - he was diagnosed with bone cancer.

"My doctor at the time had told me not only would I never play football again, I'd probably never be able to run again," Herzlich said.

Herzlich had been an All American linebacker at Boston College, a fierce competitor on the field and off.

"I made a goal in my mind," he said. "It was that I was going to beat the cancer and come back and play football."

Like Herlizich, Lance Armstrong credits not only top quality medical care but also positive thinking with beating his cancer: "You can't deny the fact that a person with a positive and optimistic attitude does a lot better," he said.

In 2006 Leigh Fortson, a freelance writer from Colorado, was diagnosed with anal cancer. She was later diagnosed with two more serious cancers. But she has survived and is still fighting the disease.

"I have absolutely no doubt" that her mindset made a difference, Fortson said.

Positive thinking - a can-do attitude. That's the key, according to all these people and others who faced life-threatening illnesses. But here is a surprising and disheartening fact: What you think, how you think, may not make a difference.

"That's dangerous nonsense, to think that you can think your way out of cancer, or think your way out of heart disease," said psychologist Richard Sloan.

A professor of behavioral medicine at Columbia University Medical Center, he has done extensive examinations of survival studies.

"What do you say to somebody who thinks that the reason that they're still alive now [is] because of their attitude?" asked Braver.

"I'd say, I'm very happy for you, I'm glad you survived. But for every one of you who said you were going to fight your way out of it, there are probably dozens of people who said precisely the same thing and didn't survive," Sloan said. "One person's anecdote doesn't make evidence."

One of the major studies on whether mindset affects recovery was conducted by University of Pennsylvania psychologist James Coyne.

"First, we asked simply is there any relationship overall? Putting biology aside, does emotion and well-being predict survival?" said Dr. Coyne. The answer? "It was as close to 'not at all' as you could get."

He said the few studies that conclude otherwise are hype, all based on bad science.

"It's disturbing at some level. Attitude doesn't matter for survival," said Dr. Coyne. "There are some things you can modify in life, but cancer is not one of them."

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[HankyPanky2468]

This was a terribly distorted and one-sided story. The only information or opinions supporting a positive attitude were anecdotal from survivors. Their input was too easy to discount. The psychologist at the beginning labels a positive attitude as "dangerous". He has knowledge perhaps but not the insight of what a positive attitude really contributes to a person's life. I cannot prove that a positive attitude can improve outcomes. It is very clear that whatever life one has left, it can make that life much better. It's a quality of life question. Where is the danger in that? I'd hate to be his patient, if he doesn't believe enjoying one's life is better than not. The woman with her downer attitude doesn't understand that "relentlessly" pushing someone into having a positive attitude can't possibly result in a positive attitude. It is not positive if a patient is guilt-tripped into believing lack of success is his/her fault. It is just the opposite. A positive attitude allows a patient to get on with his/her situation, deal with it and have no regrets at the the end. A positive attitude is not like wearing rose-colored glasses. Having a positive attitude makes the doctor's, the patient's and the family's lives easier.
Excessive stress has been proven to have a negative impact on a healthy person. Serious diseases or injuries are very stressful. It would follow that anything that diminishes stress has to be good. Where is the danger in that? Where is the downside?
What a terribly biased report!

[pjacokessr]

Any doctor who believes that attitude is unimportant in the healing process is a bad doctor. I agree that a positive attitude all by itself will not necessarily cure you. However, taking treatment believing it will fail, is senseless. The female author who wants the whole world to be miserable like her is toxic. What publisher put out her gloom and doom missive? Any decent teacher, psychologist, trainer, counselor, manager, etc will tell you whether you believe you can or that you cannot, you are correct. A positive attitude is not the be all and end all, but certainly it gives you an advantage that being negative does not.

[twc65]

I agree with you pjacokessr. this story did not tell the whole story. it should have included epigenetics from dr. bruce lipton. Science has now proven that your thoughts do affect you at a cellular level.. http://www.brucelipton.com/ check it out to get more of the whole picture

[grhutch]

This is a conflict between ideologies. One is those that believe, have faith and trust in God or a higher power.

Versus those that don't believe in God, and their only faith is in empiricism.

I have pity for them. They probably only have coldheartedness for me and those like me.

I have friend, who is a cancer survivor. He was told that he had two weeks to two years to live. This man is educated as a mechanical engineer. He was pretty much an empiricist then.

Now he has a strong spiritual aspect to his life... Oh he is in remission and is a year past his 2 year limit on life.

Yes he took chemo and radiation treatments. He also chose to become a positive thinker.

[veryveryunique]

Wonderful outcome for this individual,but he is as individual as every cancer that is diagnosed. Everyone with a cancer diagnosis does there best to get through it...they don't need the added burden of thinking they are not positive enough and that is why the beast continues to grow and mutate. Beating cancer has more to do with the type, the stage, it's aggressiveness, treatment protocol and luck!

[Alissa613]

I do believe positive thinking can have a profound effect on our lives, but I do not believe it can cure a disease.

We have been dealing with a life threatening illness in our family for just over 6 years now. I know positive thinking has improved our quality of life and allowed us to continue looking for treatment options. It did not cure the disease. Western medicine has helped to prolong life for my husband and positive thinking has given us a wonderful quality of life.

Those who believe positive thinking can cure people make us feel shame when it doesn't work. We feel blamed for our own inabilities to think positively enough, what did we do wrong? This is unacceptable.

Positive thinking gives us hope. Hope for grace and joy in the moments that make our life. Positive thinking helps makes what life we have more enjoyable. Positive thinking cannot cure disease. Remember, no one gets out of here alive (lol).

[FL_Son]

One can't help but feel dissapointed when so many Americans in 2011 still are spouting belief in magic. Magical thinking is taking over this nation, while at the same time a small percent excell at science. So many scam artist preachers telling the flock to give him their money and they will get back a thousand times as much. My favorite proof of the total failure of positive thinking is from American Idol where some teen wannabe has their chance to sing, causes everyone to cringe and shudder, omg ! and then the crying teen says no one can reject them because they know they can do anything they believe in, so they are going to keep "singing" untill they are like Whitney Houston... LOL. Uh, no, you suck at singing no matter what your belief and we all know it.
Finally, anyone who has written a book about magic should never be a source of proof since they have a very personal vested interest in advocating baloney. Sad so many can't even pause to realize that simple and obvious truth.

[stevanovich9]

The power of positive thinking is nonsense. You probably could have found 100 individuals who had a positive attitude just as strong as Lance Armstrong and Mark Herzlich who not only didn't survive but died agonizingly. Dale Carnegie was the most destructive man who ever lived. He started all this nonsense with his book "The Power of Positive Thinking". Cancer should never be considered cured because once you've had it you're walking a tightrope no matter how long it goes into remission. There are cancers that can be cured and not just be put in remission like prostate, testicular and oral cancer. But most cancers are insidious monsters that are never cured only arrested but repeat offenders. People don't respect nature's randomness anywhere near enough. The crap that makes up the Republican presidential candidates including that idiot Gingrich were actually asked by Wolf Blitzer "How many of them believe in science." Only 4 of the 8 troglodytes raised their hands. This alone shows you why Obama better be reelected no matter how much of a socialist he may be. The thought of a Romney, Gingrich, Perry or Cain thinking that prayer is the best solution to our catastrophic meltdown is scary to say the least.

[Republicans_Lose_In_2012]

That was Norman Vincent Peale. STUPID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[GeoHull]

Cancer is a condition of toxicity in the body and it can be cured. Your information is seriously flawed so your conclusions are also flawed.

[Diane_RocNY]

I am very positive that the state of our mind creates our reality. Go to the MindandLife.org to see 25 years of neuroscience research on positive emotions.

[iamesp]

Right with you Brother! It's all energy and like attracts like, creating new pathways in the mind!

[ToolMangler1]

What troubles 'but doesn't surprise' me is that with 3 pages of content and comment there is not the slightest mention of the man that originated that phrase "Positive thinking",
Norman Vincent Peale
(1898-1993)
Champion of Positive Thinking

Methinks that nobody wants to give any credence to the possibility of the existence of a GOD. It is clear that we are about to receive, 'payback'......

[julianpenrod]

There are many absolutely disqualifying faults with the manner in which "studies" that claimed "positive thinking" doesn't have an effect were conducted.
Among other things, the very nature of the situation wasn't discussed.
In reality, all disease is a penance from God for cruelty and malignance in your life. Diseases are generally related to the sin they address. Those who deal with lies, who are faithless and ant true at heart have heart disease. Those with debased depraved indifference to others, like a crawling contagion, develop cancer. Those who back stab, depending on files of memories of others' lives to use against them develop Alzheimer's. Those who live cheap, dirty, crvaen existences develop diabetes. Those who seek to ruin the thinking of others develop strokes. Simply losing faith in God's power to protect and help produces colds. It is instructive to remember that many, if not all, sins come from a lack of God's grace and, to a one, all commence with what are often defined as "cold and flu like symptons"!
An important fault in these "studies" is not linking crimes against God and man with illness, even denying that any such sins existed, as if the diseases came from nowhere!
Another could be such things as someone dedicated to overturning faith in God and the connection with disease claimning to have had a disease and to having been cured solely by medicine.
As well as the patent failure of the "studies" to actually prove that those who claim not to get better actually did engage in "positive thinking".
But, here, too, it has to be pointed out that it is not "positive thinking" that cures them. If they forego the malignance in themselves that led to the sin that caused the disease, God will conquer it. That is not "positive thinking"> It does lead to the ennobled, higher principled level of being that eschews sins, but that is far beyond simply being "upbeat" and "optimistic". Such people are optimistinc because God has cured them and they embraced greatness, they didn't simply repeat "Everything will be fine" gratuitously! IN that way, then, simply having "positive thinking" is not a cure, it is the elevation of personal character that cures the disease, and it goes hand-in-hand with thinking on a higher level.
Another point. There will be those who say that chemicals such as aspirin do manage to relieve some causes of unsease and sicomfort. They will challenge how it is that God allows chemicals to cure at least some things, if it is elevation of spirit that He wants? If someone is beset by the pain of disease, that can keep them from developing the concentration and will to better themselves. God can allow a chemical to ease or even cure a disease, but only if the person is willing to engage in betterment when they are less troubled by physical misery!

[peedo5]

I'm sure you have a TON of evidence for these claims, but to think some magic being in the sky is up there is meting out retribution is a bit archaic and bronze agey. Why doesn't your god punish me? My sister in law is devout and has a whole list of ailments, she must really have sinned, eh?

There is no evidence behind your claims, you just pulled it out of thin air.

[Republicans_Lose_In_2012]

You sure did not develop your philosophy from reading the Bible. You got that crap somewhere else.