If a person has a dream that they are being frozen or burnt to death will the person (in real life) die of hypothermia or overheating?

[LisaLiel]

If the brain is convinced the body will freeze to death, it is said the person will become hypothermic and would die, because the brain is convinced of it. (Nocebo effect is well known to scientists and fully accepted) there was a case of a man misdiagnosed with cancer and he died months later of cancer like symptoms. look up 'voodoo death' on Wikipedia. it mentions that case. also a man believed sugar pills were real pills. he overdosed on them trying to kill himself. his blood pressure went very low even though the pills were harmless and needed medical attention. This case was mentioned in the Smithsonian Magazine ''Beware the Nocebo effect'' and Smithsonian is a reputable scientific source. There is also the famous story of Nick Sitzman who froze to death in a warm room because he imagined being cold.

The nocebo effect is well known and I know we can't really test for this since dead people cannot tell us their dream but I am curious.

[swansont]

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Moderator Note

 

You already have a thread on this

http://www.scienceforums.net/topic/88162-can-a-person-freeze-themselves-to-death-by-thought/