The Power of Prayer: Fact or Fiction?

[Oneironaut Zero]

Ok..I came across this article in the Orlando Sentinel that completely grabbed my attention. While I don't ascribe to any set religion, my curiousity and open-mind leaves me very receptive to the fact that there could be other powers at work that science simply cannot explain. The main objection I hear from scientists and their followers is that no 'Controlled" experiments are ever taken to try to prove or disprove paranormal phenomena. This will be one such experiment that I can't wait to see the outcome on: Healing that Goes Beyond Pills and Procedures By Hilary MacGregor | Los Angeles Times Posted May 8, 2005 SAN FRANCISCO -- On an operating table at a medical center in San Francisco, a breast-cancer patient is undergoing reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy. But this will be no ordinary surgery. Three thousand miles away, a shamanic healer has been sent the woman's name, a photo and details about the surgery. For each of the next eight days, the healer will pray 20 minutes for the cancer patient's recovery, without the woman's knowledge. A surgeon has inserted two small fabric tubes into the woman's groin to enable researchers to measure how fast she heals. The woman is a patient in an extraordinary government-funded study to determine whether prayer has the power to heal patients from afar -- a field known as "distant healing." In recent years, medicine has increasingly shown an interest in investigating the effect of prayer and spirituality on health. A survey of 31,000 adults released last year by the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 43 percent of U.S. adults prayed for their own health, while 24 percent had others pray for their health. Some researchers say that is reason enough to study the power of prayer. "Almost every community in the world has a prayer for the sick, which they practice when a member of their community is ill," says Dr. Mitchell Krucoff, a Duke University cardiologist and researcher in the field of distant prayer and healing. Science has only begun to explore the power of distant healing, and the early results of this research have been inconclusive. In an article published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in 2000, researchers reported on 23 studies on distant-healing techniques, including religious, energy and spiritual healing. Thirteen of the 23 studies indicated positive effects to distant healing, nine studies found no beneficial effect and one study showed a modest negative effect. Although some scientists oppose such studies on religious or scientific grounds, others question whether it is possible to devise a scientifically valid method for measuring something as nebulous as the power of prayer. "There are enormous methodological and conceptual problems with the studies of distant prayer," says Dr. Richard Sloan, a professor of behavioral medicine at Columbia University in New York. "Nothing in our understanding of our universe or ourselves suggests how the thoughts of one group of people could influence the physiology of people 3,000 miles away." Power of prayer? Cardiologist Randolph Byrd did the first major clinical study on distant healing at San Francisco General Hospital in 1988. He divided 393 heart patients into two groups. One group received prayers from Christians outside the hospital; the other did not. His study, published in the Southern Medical Journal, found that the patients who were not prayed for needed more medication and were more likely to suffer complications. Although it had flaws, the study garnered considerable attention. Since then, investigators have continued to look at the possible effects of remote prayer and similar distant-healing techniques in the treatment of heart disease, AIDS and other illnesses, as well as infertility. "Critics often complain that if you see positive results in humans it is because of positive thinking, or the placebo response," says Dr. Larry Dossey, a retired internist in Santa Fe, N.M., and author of numerous books on spirituality and healing. "Microbes don't think positively and are not subject to the placebo response." In the early '90s, Elisabeth Targ and colleagues at the California Pacific Medical Center studied the effects of distant healing on 20 AIDS patients. The study found that those receiving prayer survived in greater numbers, got sick less often and recovered faster than those who did not, says Marilyn Schlitz, a senior scientist at California Pacific Medical Center. Schlitz worked with Targ, who died of a brain tumor in 2002. A follow-up study of 40 patients found similar results. At about the same time, Duke University's Krucoff was leading a small but unusual experiment to determine if cardiac patients would recover faster after angioplasty surgery if they received any of several intangible treatments. His study compared the results of healing touch, stress relaxation and distant healing with standard care. Spiritual healers from around the world -- including Jews leaving prayers at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Buddhists praying in monasteries in Nepal and France, Carmelite nuns in Baltimore offering prayers during vespers, and Moravians, Baptists and fundamental Christians praying during church -- each simultaneously prayed for one of several designated groups in the study. All of the groups did better than the standard care group, with those receiving distant prayers doing best. He has since completed a larger, multisite study. That study -- the largest to date -- is under review for publication in a medical journal. One of the leading centers for such research is the Institute of Noetic Sciences, where Schlitz is vice president of research and education. A study by the institute and California Pacific Medical Center, which will be completed next year, will follow 140 breast-cancer patients who have undergone reconstructive surgery. At the time of the surgery, each patient has two small, spaghettilike tubes of Gore-Tex implanted in her groin to measure how much collagen is deposited as her wound heals. The study is designed to address one of the primary concerns raised by critics of distant-healing research: that the studies are not designed to account for a placebo effect. Researchers have divided the patients into three groups. One group will be prayed for but will not know of the prayers; another will be prayed for and will be told of the prayers; and a third group will receive no prayers and will be told nothing. The healers who will do the praying must have years of experience in distant healing and come from varied traditions -- such as shamanism, bioenergy and reiki. After eight days, the tubes will be removed and collagen growth in the wound area will be analyzed -- an accepted scientific method to measure wound healing. The rates of healing will then be compared. Mary Destri, 43, a reiki healer who is participating in the study, had misgivings about the study design. She says she had participated as a healer in other scientific experiments but had typically been given more information about the patient. "This is the first time I've ever worked on someone I've never met, the first time I'm working with someone I have no access to, cannot communicate with," she says. "It helps with intentionality to have a sharper focus." As a cardiologist, Krucoff has seen many patients near death. He says that what determines their survival often reaches beyond technology and medicine. "We are pretty good at doing studies on the safety and effectiveness of pills and procedures," says Krucoff. "We have a well-established approach to figure out what the risks and benefits are likely to be. . . . Could you inadvertently kill someone with a loving prayer? Not too many theologians want to have that discussion. But in health care, these are fundamental questions."

[Awaken]

The placebo effect sums it up pretty well.

[Oneironaut Zero]

No offense meant, but did you read the whole article? The placebo effect gives a Possible answer to why Former experiments have gotten the outcome that they have. THIS experiment is designed to address the placebo effect by keeping a group of subjects completely unaware that will have healers praying for them. You can't 'sum up' an experiment that won't be finished until next year.

[halfasked1]

I don't know how related this is, but maybe 3 years ago in 6th grade, I was going to take a test that I was really not ready to take. I was scared that I would fail the test the next day. So when I went to bed I prayed very hard that something would happen so that I didn't have to take the test. That morning I woke up sick and didn't go to school. I'm not sure if it was prayer or not because my grandmother once told me that I shouldn't wish something to happen so bad because it just might. If that's helpful in any way. P.S. If anyones interested, I passed the test.

[Awaken]

Originally posted by Oneironaut No offense meant, but did you read the whole article? The placebo effect gives a Possible answer to why Former experiments have gotten the outcome that they have. THIS experiment is designed to address the placebo effect by keeping a group of subjects completely unaware that will have healers praying for them. You can't 'sum up' an experiment that won't be finished until next year. Sorry about that, I only skimmed it...I will accept offense I wasn't trying to refute it, it's just what I thought it was talking about. That's pretty interesting though. I'm entirely inclined to believe it. The mind has an infathomable amount of power which science is only beginning to understand.

[sephiroth clock]

The placebo affect is interesting though. It shows how much power we have in our own minds to affect our bodily conditions. We can heal ourselves with our own power if we change our minds and decide to believe that it is possible with a healer or special meddalion. The article is really interesting. They should try people praying in groups. That is much more powerful than one person only.

[Oneironaut Zero]

Yeah, I've always thought of the placebo effect as fascinating. It just goes to show that the old saying is true "If you put your mind to it, you can do anything." Within reason. It leaves me wondering exactly how strong that truth can be. With such a large percent of our brain functions still unknown, it makes you wondering exactly what we are capable of if our minds are really set upon accomplishing a certain goal. I think this experiment could open doors for new discussions though, if it comes to show that the unaware prayed-fors get a much higher response. The possibility of the mind's power could be taken just that much further.

[Yume]

"Thy spirit generates thy own's power." Anonymous When people pray or have prayers given to them even if there is no distant help from above prayers seem to send some boost of power to individuals who have been prayed for. Maybe it sends the kind of energy that plants absorb from the sun, but who knows. All that I can say is that when I pray for someone I see their life get relatively better. Religious or not prayer should be harnessed for the betterment of mankind.

[CryoDragoon]

http://www.downloads.nl/cgi-bin/meta/do/np...utnam&where=mp3

[bradybaker]

Fiction.

[imported_Berserk_Exodus]

Thousands of people prayed or meditated for peace in Washington D.C. and the crime rate drops to 25% or something and rises the next day with no repeat of this in later days. I believe we all have a strong connection to each other mentally that we are only slightly aware of. If Evolution of the mind proceeds the old evolution it would stand to reason that our ability to influence our universe with our minds would grow.

[bradybaker]

Originally posted by Berserk_Exodus If Evolution of the mind proceeds the old evolution it would stand to reason that our ability to influence our universe with our minds would grow. Of course that assumes that our minds have the ability to influence the universe in the first place. Which is the very question we are trying to answer in the first place.

[Leo Volont]

Here is a true healing story which some of you may find quite amazing: Father Nacho Story A few years back I contracted the Flu and so I asked around at the Parish and found out that this one old and obnoxious Priest, Father Nacho (Enuncio) was the Priest scheduled to be responsible for performing the Healing Sacraments. Incidentally, this would also require them to do all the Last Rites. I found Father ‘Nacho’ in the parking lot and asked for a Healing. He looked at me with something of a dubious expression, but I insisted that it was his job to do such things and so he said 'okay, okay' and went through the motions of healing me. Well, sure enough, I got better immediately. Everyone else in town were all as sick as dogs for two weeks, while I was the only guy showing up for work. I felt fine. Months later everyone was standing around the Parish Office badmouthing Father Nacho for being so obnoxious, WITH HIM STANDING RIGHT THERE. So I took it upon myself to defend him, saying that although his personal manners and hygiene may have been wanting, as far as simply being a Priest goes, he was the REAL DEAL, and I told them about the healing. When the conversation turned, Father Nacho motioned me to follow him outside, and he told me a story. The reason he had hesitated when I asked for a healing was he thought he had accidentally renounced the Gift of Healing and he honestly did not know how to deal with anybody’s direct request to be healed. You see, when he was made the Healing Priest, he was often called to the Catholic Hospitals in the middle of the night to do Last Rites, but he would often show up too late – the dying becoming the dead. But that does not typically stop the Priests in the field and they will generally give Last Rites to a dead body, figuring that God will understand how busy traffic can be sometimes, and God must know that not all of the lights were Green. But with Father Nacho, the dead bodies were coming back to life for the Last Rites. He was not deliberately bringing them back to life, but when he would ask them if they repented for their sins, or whatever, they would come alive and comply all through the Sacrament. You can imagine how disturbing this could be for Hospital Staff and even for family members! The Staff had no choice but to call for the Crash Carts and wake up the on-call Doctors and the “dead” bodies would have to be moved to Intensive Care. But, after their Last Rites were administered, they would just die again. It happened again and again and again. Finally the Doctors and the Nurses were fed up with the aggravation and asked Father Nacho if he could administer the Last Rites to the dead bodies while just keeping them dead. Father Nacho, who was conscious of how much trouble this was all causing, acquiesced and said "I guess so". That was when he thought he may have renounced the Power of Healing. and the dead bodies then after stayed dead. So he told me that he was confused and worried when I asked to be healed, and that was the source of the strange hesitancy he had in offering me the Healing Prayer. He honestly doubted whether he still had the Gift. He said that he was relieved to hear that I got well, both for my sake and for his own. He felt restored knowing he was still whole in the Vine of Christ.

[Sinar]

just wanted to add my bit into this. i belive prayer can heal. personal experience. my father fell off of a 32 foot roof (he owns a roofing company) landed on concrete on his head. when the paramedics got their hey said they thought he was dead. well, 13 dyas he was out of the hospital. they said he wouldn't even start wondering about gonig back to work for 6 months. he went back full time in 3. the doctor actually said that he's never seen anything like it. they said they honestly, not kidding, believe he would have done more damage if he would have landed on his feet. me and my family are religious (southern baptist) abd the whole time we prayed for him and so did the church. the Dr.'s couldn't believe how fast he healed : )

[Gwendolyn]

Prayer is meditation. Both focus your will.....Focusing your own onto something can make anything possible.

[halfasked1]

Originally posted by Berserk_Exodus Thousands of people prayed or meditated for peace in Washington D.C. and the crime rate drops to 25% or something and rises the next day with no repeat of this in later days. So were all those thousands of people praying for peace for only one day? I assume that this is not true because why would thousands of people waste prayer on one day. Or did they here the crime rate dropped and everybody stopped praying? For all anybody knows, on that particular day criminals were having bad days and were not able to commit crimes. Also, why would it drop only 25%? But if that were true I guess you could say that the reason was because of all the praying. Those thousands of people should pray for the crime rate to drop 25% every other day, and if it does then you might be able to say something about it. Otherwise, there's nothing that says prayer had anything to do with it. But also, prayer is based on faith that something will happen that is out of your control otherwise you wouldn't be praying for that thing to happen. So there doesn't necesarilly have to have been any proof that it is true for it to work.