# Willpower as a factor in healing **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [August 10, 2007, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willpower-as-a-factor-in-healing/415167 "2007-08-10T19:46:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2007, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willpower-as-a-factor-in-healing/415167/21 "2007-08-13T14:46:32Z")
Using Google Scholar on Phillips’ articles turns up a lot of researcjh on this. Here’s a typical one: > **[Death Takes a Raincheck : Psychosomatic Medicine](https://www.ovid.com/jnls/bsam/abstract/00006842-200405000-00017~death-takes-a-raincheck?year=2004&issue=05000&article=00017&type=Fulltext&redirectionsource=fulltextview)** > > Objective:To review the research literature on temporal variation in mortality rates around symbolically important occasions.Methods:Qualitative... Particularly relevant statements: > [@](#): > > RESULTS: Since the early 1970s, at least 18 studies have investigated whether death rates increase or decrease before, during, or after symbolically important occasions such as holidays and birthdays. Some studies but not others have found modest evidence of temporal effects. Methodological issues have raised questions about most of the positive findings. None of the studies provides any direct evidence that a psychophysiological mechanism enables people to postpone or hasten their own death. > > CONCLUSION: Research over the past 3 decades has failed to provide convincing evidence that psychological phenomena such as “giving up” or “holding on” can influence the timing of death. So, some studies say “yes”, some say “no”, with not enough to convince a neutral observer that the effect is real. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willpower-as-a-factor-in-healing/415167/22 "2007-08-14T15:35:29Z")
Willpower, schmillpower. Can we get some more information on this saltwater enema thing? Seriously, does the rectum actually filter the salt out of the water? Is this an actual survival technique you could use, or what? Inquiring minds, and all… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2007, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willpower-as-a-factor-in-healing/415167/23 "2007-08-15T14:54:47Z")
I am planning to be stranded on a desert island for 38 days without freshwater (however, will still have access to SDMB). Anybody know if the saltwater enema trick works? ---
**Author:** ![paxman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/74df32/32.png) [@paxman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paxman)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2007, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willpower-as-a-factor-in-healing/415167/24 "2007-08-15T21:31:16Z")
[QUOTE=The Controvert] I am planning to be stranded on a desert island for 38 days without freshwater (however, will still have access to SDMB). Anybody know if the saltwater enema trick works? [/QUOTE] I’m glad there’s some people questioning the wisdom of brackish enemas for hydration. They don’t work. Remember “hydration” depends on the water content of the body which must balance the salt content of the body. The intestine can absorb water to concentrate stool to a maximum of 300 mOsm/kg (the concentration of osmotically active particles or, loosely, salinity) but cannot significantly exceed the osmotic concentration of serum (approximately 290mOsm/kg). Rather more impressively, the kidney can concentrate its product up to about 1400 mOsm/kg. Seawater is about 2000mOsm/kg and even the kidney can’t get free water from it. So basically for your planned stranding, if you’re going to chance any brackish water, you should hope that its osmolality is less than 1400 and then drink it. Have fun. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willpower-as-a-factor-in-healing/415167/25 "2007-08-16T05:15:07Z")
**paxman** , thank you kind sir. Consider some ignorance fought. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNunya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@DavidNunya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNunya)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2007, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willpower-as-a-factor-in-healing/415167/26 "2007-08-20T17:06:49Z")
[QUOTE=paxman] Rather more impressively, the kidney can concentrate its product up to about 1400 mOsm/kg. Seawater is about 2000mOsm/kg and even the kidney can’t get free water from it. So basically for your planned stranding, if you’re going to chance any brackish water, you should hope that its osmolality is less than 1400 and then drink it. [/QUOTE] A thought occurs me then: Are you saying if I do manage to gather some rainwater, I can mix it with seawater to go on indefinitely? (2 parts SW to 1 part RW = 1333.33 osmolatiy). ---
**Author:** ![DavidNunya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@DavidNunya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNunya)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2007, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willpower-as-a-factor-in-healing/415167/27 "2007-08-20T17:08:35Z")
[QUOTE=Baraqiyal] I’ve always assumed it was possible to “hang on” through sheer force of will. Was it just a coincidence that John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died July 4th 1826, 50 years to the day of the signing of the Declaration of Independence? [/QUOTE] …yes. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2007, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willpower-as-a-factor-in-healing/415167/28 "2007-08-20T20:13:46Z")
[QUOTE=DavidNunya] …yes. [/QUOTE] Actually, perhaps not. A fairly large-scale study a few years back showed that men really do have a tendency to die on or soon after significant dates (such as their own birthdays), while women have a tendency to die soon before. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willpower-as-a-factor-in-healing/415167/29 "2007-08-21T12:46:23Z")
> [@](#): > > Actually, perhaps not. A fairly large-scale study a few years back showed that men really do have a tendency to die on or soon after significant dates (such as their own birthdays), while women have a tendency to die soon before. Have a look up at my posts 7, 20, and 21, and especially the references in 20 and 21. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willpower-as-a-factor-in-healing/415167.md?page=1)