PRAYER showed no therapeutic effect in a large trial.
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Seeking to assess the effect of third-party prayer on patient outcomes, investigators found no evidence for divine intervention. They did, however, detect a possible proof for the power of negative thinking.
The three-year Study of the Therapeutic Effects of Intercessory Prayer (STEP), published in the April 4 American Heart Journal, was the largest-ever attempt to apply scientific methods to measure the influence of prayer on the well-being of another. It examined 1,800 patients undergoing heart-bypass surgery. On the eve of the operations, church groups began two weeks of praying for one set of patients. Each recipient had a praying contingent of about 70, none of whom knew the patient personally. The study found no differences in survival or complication rates compared with those who did not receive prayers. The only statistically significant blip appeared in a subgroup of patients who were prayed for and knew it. They experienced a higher rate of postsurgical heart arrhythmias (59 versus 52 percent of unaware subjects).
The research team--a psychologist, clergy and doctors from six institutions, including Harvard Medical School and the Mayo Clinic--speculated that nerves might have been to blame. "We know that high levels of adrenaline from the anxiety response can make fibrillation worse," said Charles Bethea, a physician at Integris Baptist Heart Hospital, a study site in Oklahoma City, in an April press conference. "The patient might think, 'Am I so sick that they have to call in the prayer team?'" Dean Marek, chief chaplain at the Mayo Clinic, saw the problem as a possible flaw in the study design: "The sense of community was not there. You could call it impersonal prayer rather than intercessory prayer."
Stopping short of suggesting that the healing power of prayers by friends and family might reside in the personal connections rather than in the prayers, the authors stated that they have no plans for a follow-up study. This one, sponsored largely by the John Templeton Foundation, cost $2.4 million.
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12 Comments
Add CommentDo you realize what you're saying? Let me just add a few remarks...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisGod is perfect...all knowing...all powerful...right?
Then WHY did he created an imperfect being...man?
Why IS there good and evil? Why not just make a PERFECT world with just good?
Why hasn't he admitted the "mistake" he made and use his "power" and make it right?
Why are there literally THOUSANDS of variations of religion?
Why was NOTHING written down about Jesus? Why didn't Jesus write anything down? Why didn't his disciples? Why are there NO Roman records of Jesus, his crimes, his punishment?
Why is God only active during the past? Why not today? Why is the judgment always "right around the corner" but never comes. It's been 2000 years and we're STILL waiting.
Your religion, along with EVERY other religion...is nothing more than someones fantasy. It's ALL made up...
If you believe in the fantastical, without ANY tangible evidence, then it's YOU that needs praying for...
Study your religion...REALLY study it, with an open mind, and I think you'll find that it's full of inconsistencies.
Your Bible was "crafted" by MEN, not a God. It is a collection of stories that were copied from other stories that are a lot older. The Canon is a collection of works that were picked and chosen for the benefit of those who did the picking/choosing. NOTHING in the New Testament is from the time of Jesus. It was ALL written long after his "supposed" lifetime. There is really NO concrete evidence that he even existed.
Why did an all powerful, all knowing, PERFECT God even DO the whole Jesus thing? What's the point? He supposedly dies for our sins? OK, so what? Why doesn't God just wipe the slate clean and let everyone simply start over? Why should HE (as perfect as he's supposed to be) hold a grudge against us? WHY?
Why does God even CARE what a bunch of insignificant "bugs" do with their lives? Why would he follow everything I do? So he can PUNISH me? Oooh...that's real mature. Why does God NEED to be prayed to? Does he have an esteem thing going on?
I could go on and on...but you'll ignore it or you'll say that "we can't know what God thinks". Real convenient...isn't it. Someone that can't be seen, felt, heard, or proven...but you're willing to bet your life that he exists! WOW...that's all I can say...WOW!
Yes Sir,
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou sound just about as content and happy as you could ever want. No need for anything greater than yourself it appears. Just one question. What exactly is the reason for being so angry towards something that doesn't exist?
No one's angry at an imaginary god. People get pissed off at the believers who don't question religious drivel. This person is trying to educate you and to make you think about the inconsistencies in your religious beliefs. You should be grateful that he or she thought you might have the capacity to reason. At least answer the questions instead of changing the subject.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThank you BB Queen.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPrayer does work when you truly believe in God? Do you mean that NONE of the patients believed in God? Or NONE of the people who prayed for these patients?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSome of the (probably religious) patients even KNEW that people were praying for them.
WHY didn't it work?
Perhaps because it DOESN'T work?
While I believe that prayer doesn't work, it would be hard (perhaps impossible) to scientifically disprove it, and completely impossible to make believers accept the results.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI just have one thing to say as a believer in Christ. As a christian, what happens when i die if i'm wrong, meaning that there is no heaven, hell or god? Nothing. If i was an atheist, what happens when i die if i'm wrong, meaning that there is a heaven, hell and a god? I spend eternity in hell being punished for my sins. I don't know about you, but i'd rather not take that risk. Better safe than sorry.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisRingo495
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhat you refer to is Pascals Wager. Belief is not a rational choice. You can choose to visit a church, even live under "the rules of your church" however you either believe or you don't. If your God is of the omniscient variety; it will know.....
Even if there is a god; it is bound by the laws of physics. We can accelerate a Electron around a 28 mile circle (at close to the speed of light) and record it's effects; however we can't measure prayer energy? We can't measure it because it doesn’t exist; your brain can't produce enough energy to transmit a prayer.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisGroup prayer, psychic power, etc, break the laws of thermodynamics.
We are both atheists; I just believe in one less god than you do. Of course you believe in the one "true" god cause your mommy told you so, guess the 6 billion other people on this earth are going to Hell FOREVER, because they were born to the wrong mother
King James Bible;
Deaths caused by God = 30,000,000
Deaths caused by Satan = 10 (9 of which god told him to kill)
Even if I believed in your god; I'd rather be in hell with all the cool people
The evidence is building that religion is bad for your health. Check out this press release:
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://bornatheist.com/pfattest.html
"The only statistically significant blip appeared in a subgroup of patients who were prayed for and knew it. They experienced a higher rate of postsurgical heart arrhythmias."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis is significant for the believers. The bible teaches that the person that wants to receive the God's healing, needs to believe in his/her healing through the blood of Jesus.
http://prayerrequestsforhealing.wordpress.com/2011/03/05/prayer-requests-for-healing/
big up on all that.
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