I believe in their power.
It all began when I became a regularly car-sick passenger. My parents laid a towel across me in the car seat in case I puked on it. They also gave me dramamine, and insisted on being the drivers, themselves, so they could pull over at the first sign of carsickness.
All combined, these had the impact of keeping me from puking. I dubbed the towel the no-puke towel, and now, as long as I have the towel, and the road isn't too windy, I don't even feel like I want to puke.
I got sick last night, but no-puke towel has come to my rescue, comforting me.
It is powerful.
The cat is also comforting.