| Or an association/placebo thing. My brother and I once accidentally gave our dad NA beer. He didn't know. We soon realized it yet kept giving it to him all night. Bizarre, he actually got "drunk". Slower talking, ever more exaggerated stories, etc. It's not just a personal anecdote, this has been replicated with two student groups in a bar, one served alcohol, the others not. Both groups got "drunk". Likewise, you can give people a blue-colored and red-colored water and they will consistently report that the blue one is cool and refreshing whilst the red one is sweet. Neither has any actual taste. Most people have experienced this glitch in our brains without realizing it. You have a glass of water and you take a sip. You violently spit it out. It's sprite, not water. It tastes like poison, even if you love sprite. Being aware that you're drinking NA is technically not a placebo, but strong associations can still play a role in it act liking one regardless. |