From psychoanalysis to the placebo effect, this vibrant history describes the commitments to mind-body healing as rooted in a patchwork of stories that have allowed people to make sense of their suffering, express discontent with existing care, and rationalize new treatments and lifestyles.

Is stress a deadly disease on the rise in modern society? Can mind-body practices from the East help us become well? When it comes to healing, we believe we must look beyond doctors and drugs; we must look within ourselves. Faith, relationships, and attitude matter.

But why do we believe such things? From psychoanalysis to the placebo effect to meditation, this vibrant cultural history describes mind-body healing as rooted in a patchwork of stories, allowing us to make new sense of our suffering and to rationalize new treatments and lifestyles.