Can that really substitute as a placebo, though? I&#x27;d imagine you&#x27;d have to first verify that those teachings are no more effective than a placebo, which runs into the same problem as the original purpose of finding a proper placebo comparison.<p>Edit: Sorry, I misunderstood your comment. However, if they&#x27;re testing the effectiveness of the meditation technique, then the teacher&#x27;s belief in the method shouldn&#x27;t affect the outcome of the result, assuming the technique is the same in both cases.