In my opinion, mind-body cures are a bunch of hooey. Diseases such as cancer may have many causes, such as virus, environment, diet and so on. Some of these causes, such as diet or smoking, are the responsibility of patient. A patient can lower her chances of getting cancer, but if she does get it, there is no credible evidence that her attitude will help or hinder the cure.

I think that people who emphasize attitude are blaming the patient for the disease. Some of they do this because they are afraid of getting sick themselves. They want a reliable cure, and they want to stay in control of events. They imagine that a smile and a good attitude will act as a talisman to keep them safe from disease.

Many people consider disease unclean, and a sign of immorality, or God's punishment. They feel it must be the patient's fault somehow. This is a very ancient idea. (There is a grain of truth to it, as I said: overeating, smoking, unsafe sex and so on can make you sick.)

The mind-body ideas are closely related to religion, as the author says. Keeping a positive attitude is similar to praying. More similar than people realize, because prayer, both personal and intercessory, has no effect on the prognosis. (See, for example, the Templeton Foundation study described by Dawkins in "The God Delusion.)