Sensory Placebo Effects: The Role of Sensory Signaling in Enhancing Marketing Placebos and Consumer Outcomes

Pairing a placebo expectation with a sensory stimulus (“sensory placebo”) elicits significantly stronger placebo effects in both cognitive and physical domains. Participants given a sensory placebo solved more word puzzles and were better at lifting weights, and the outperformance over standard placebos was mediated by phantom sensations of placebo energization.