Reply #3: I don't see where you need to posit a paranormal (nonmaterial) component [View All]

You're just talking about the software/hardware distinction as it applies to the brain. Because of the way our brain is constructed, a software change also changes the hardware. For instance, in learning (transferring a memory from short term to long term storage), a small region of your brain is physically changed. The big question is to what extent the act of just using our brains can change them. Of course, very little changes. You will not be able to think your way out of damage to Broca's area but you may be able to think yourself out of depression.

The suggestion here is that the act of thinking about pain relief (which involves recalling memories about how it felt before -- an expectation) can bring at least some relief from pain. This is not entirely surprising. When we remember something the information gets routed through the same areas of the brain we used to acquire the information. If you remember someone's face, the visual processing areas of your brain are activated. I would expect that a similar mechanism is at play here.