Mercola.com
Call Toll Free: 877-985-2695
SEARCH:
The World's #1 Natural Health Website

INVITE YOUR FRIENDS
Import Email Addresses from almost any email service to invite your friends.
Invite Your Friends Invite Your Friends
BROWSE BY
CATEGORY

TRANSLATE THIS PAGE:
Arabic Translation Chinese Translation Dutch Translation French Translation German Translation
Korean Translation Japanese Translation Portugese Translation Russian Translation Spanish Translation

Top Products

Questioning The Power of Prayer

Posted By Dr. Mercola | April 13 2006 | 2,270 views

A large study found that prayers from strangers had no effect on the recovery of patients who had undergone heart surgery.

In addition, patients who knew they were being prayed for experienced more post-operative complications, possibly because of anxiety due to raised expectations.

The study, which lasted almost ten years and involved more than 1800 patients, was designed to overcome flaws in previous investigations of the subject.

The study's authors stated that the findings should not be considered the last word on the effects of intercessory prayer, and that the study did not cover either personal prayers or prayers from friends and family members.

At least one earlier study seemed to indicate lower complication rates in patients who received intercessory prayers; however, others found no difference.

The current study did not find any difference between patients who were prayed for and those who were not, and a somewhat higher complication rate -- 59 percent as opposed to 51 percent -- for patients who knew they were being prayed for.

 

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

You may have heard the media using the studies to "prove" that prayer doesn't work. This is a great example of not relying on the media to provide you with an opinion.

Ideally it is always best to go back to the original study or article and carefully review it based on your analysis. That is why I provide you with links to the articles and studies.

Sure I provide my comment, but that is all it is, my impression which is not intended to be the final word on any subject. I am on a journey, just like you to seek the truth and every day I learn new information that causes me to update and revise my understanding of how this world operates.

I would encourage you to do the same. Don't rely on anyone, including me, to give you the answers. If the subject is important to you, do your own analysis and investigation and reach your own conclusion.

If you reach a different one then mine, very shortly you will have the opportunity to voice your opinion on this site as we will be deploying Web 2.0 technology to have one of the most advanced forum discussion groups on the net.

Getting back to this study though a key to remember here is that this research was primarily with surrogate prayer -- in other words, the effect of someone else praying for others. While this isn't the last definitive word on the subject, it is also very clear that the most powerful form of prayer comes from people is praying for themselves and not for others.

When you pray for others, you may not be able to overcome their belief systems and their ability to manifest their intentions which are frequently negative due to a variety of self-sabotaging experiences and beliefs.

Frankly, there is no question that prayer works. We have many studies now to document that. The science is very solid in excellent peer-reviewed publications. The science is so solid, that it is criminally negligent for physicians not to recommend it.

And talk about cost-effective; there is no cost to prayer except for time. It makes no logical sense to me why someone would not utilize this resource.

Other simple and powerful techniques that can provide similar benefits to prayer include journaling and meditation.


Related Links:


Republish this article

 
The World's #1 Natural Health Website

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your physician before using this product.

Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your physician before using this product.

Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.

© Copyright 1997-2012 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved.

 

More Health News

The Latest Risky Fad to Hit Your Child's Pediatrician's Office

Read More »