# Have Any Studies Shown Prayer To Be Effective? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 12, 2003, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-studies-shown-prayer-to-be-effective/181330 "2003-06-12T14:40:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2003, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-studies-shown-prayer-to-be-effective/181330/1 "2003-06-12T14:40:15Z")
Have there been any double-blind studies conducted that have shown prayer to be effective? I seem to recall a study a few years ago that found that hospital patients who were prayed for were significantly less likely to require antibiotics than those that weren’t prayed for. Has this study held up? And which God was prayed to in this particular study?? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2003, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-studies-shown-prayer-to-be-effective/181330/2 "2003-06-12T15:08:39Z")
Not really an answer, but check out this site [http://www.reall.org/newsletter/v11/n05/index.html](http://www.reall.org/newsletter/v11/n05/index.html) (REALL newsletter of May 2003) and see the item on prayer in the REALLity Check section. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2003, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-studies-shown-prayer-to-be-effective/181330/3 "2003-06-12T15:21:44Z")
From CSICOP: [Is there scientific evidence that intercessory prayer speeds medical recovery?](http://www.csicop.org/articles/20010810-prayer/) ---
**Author:** ![chukhung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@chukhung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chukhung)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2003, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-studies-shown-prayer-to-be-effective/181330/4 "2003-06-12T15:26:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Surreal \* > **Have there been any double-blind studies conducted that have shown prayer to be effective?** I don’t think it would be possible to test God’s powers in a double-blind study, would it? I mean, how could you hide who was being prayed for from an omniscient god? What could stop Him from healing both groups equally just to, say, teach a lesson about lack of faith? ---
**Author:** ![richw211](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@richw211](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/richw211)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2003, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-studies-shown-prayer-to-be-effective/181330/5 "2003-06-12T17:29:37Z")
I think this question would need to be considered in two senses: 1. Do mental factors (peace of mind, positive outlook, etc.) resulting from the faith have any measurable medical benefit? 2. Does the divine intervention requested by the believer have any measurable medical benefit? I would tend to think nonbelievers would attribute any measurable benefit to 1) and believers would say it was 2). It seems to me that the question is ridiculous because if 2) could be proved, the existence of God would be proved and the notion of “faith” would disappear. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2003, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-studies-shown-prayer-to-be-effective/181330/6 "2003-06-12T17:43:16Z")
[No.](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11761499&dopt=Abstract) [Maybe.](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11751349&dopt=Abstract) [Not in a meaningful way.](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10547166&dopt=Abstract) Check out the comments on the above. Many are available via the links. ---
**Author:** ![SnoopyFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@SnoopyFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnoopyFan)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-studies-shown-prayer-to-be-effective/181330/7 "2003-06-13T00:58:08Z")
This isn’t a study, just anecdotal, but I’m betting Aretha Franklin believes in the power of prayer today … > **[Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines](https://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=%2Flaunch%2F20030519%2Fen_launch%2F213451)** > > The latest news and headlines from Yahoo! News. Get breaking news stories and in-depth coverage with videos and photos. [http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/Music/06/12/luther.vandross.reut/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/Music/06/12/luther.vandross.reut/index.html) Whether you believe in prayer or not, it’s good news, no? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![county](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@county](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/county)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-studies-shown-prayer-to-be-effective/181330/8 "2003-06-13T02:10:33Z")
AA attributes successful treatment of alcoholism primarily to relief provided by a “higher power” when it is sought thru prayer ---
**Author:** ![Adoptamom\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Adoptamom\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Adoptamom_II)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-studies-shown-prayer-to-be-effective/181330/9 "2003-06-13T03:12:52Z")
No studies to cite but this afternoon Mr. Adoptamom prayed for me and our children at 4pm. In conversation this evening we discovered the the near miss wreck we were almost involved in was at the same time. Honestly? I don’t know how we didn’t crash - we should have by all logical viewpoints of the scene and other drivers - but we didn’t. Considering the size and location of the other vehicles involved - we should have been smushed to smithereens but we weren’t. Just one example of why we believe in the power of prayer. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Zagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@El\_Zagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Zagna)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-studies-shown-prayer-to-be-effective/181330/10 "2003-06-13T03:14:27Z")
**KarlGauss** - I couldn’t get too far with the “comments” links because you need to subscribe to Arch Intern Med Online. Still, the fact that two of these studies showed small but statistically significant improvements in the group receiving intercessory prayer is intriguing to say the least. ---
**Author:** ![MaryEFoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MaryEFoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaryEFoo)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-studies-shown-prayer-to-be-effective/181330/11 "2003-06-13T06:49:28Z")
In countries where people routinely say, “God save the King”, and every week all the congregations offer up orchestrated prayers for the king, do the kings live longer than comparables? ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-studies-shown-prayer-to-be-effective/181330/12 "2003-06-13T10:16:56Z")
[SDStaffer **David**](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/msciprayer.html) says no. ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-studies-shown-prayer-to-be-effective/181330/13 "2003-06-13T10:52:26Z")
What if you just _make a wish_? ---
**Author:** ![IzzyR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/2acd7d/32.png) [@IzzyR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IzzyR)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-studies-shown-prayer-to-be-effective/181330/14 "2003-06-13T13:51:22Z")
IMHO, all these studies - and any conceivable future studies - are flawed, because any prayer offered as part of a scientific study is not a true prayer, and cannot be assumed to have the impact that a true prayer would have. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-studies-shown-prayer-to-be-effective/181330/15 "2003-06-13T13:55:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by IzzyR \* > \*\*IMHO, all these studies - and any conceivable future studies - are flawed, because any prayer offered as part of a scientific study is not a true prayer, and cannot be assumed to have the impact that a true prayer would have. \*\* Why? If you gather up a bunch of guys and gals that were going to pray for the sick _anyway_, what difference does it make if they now do it as part of a study? ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-studies-shown-prayer-to-be-effective/181330/16 "2003-06-13T14:04:56Z")
It would be more interesting to _prevent_ people from praying for sick who’d expect to be prayed for. If I’m religious, I’d suppose my family would pray for me (even if it’s a blind test and I’m not actually told people are praying for me), which gives me a positive feeling and might actually shorten the hospital stay, but for purely pssychological reasons. You should tell religious patients that their families are praying for them, while the families actually don’t pray at all, and compare it to the healoing process of religious patients actually prayed for. Of course the overall conditions of this kind of experiment would be hard to keep under surveillance, and there might be legal problems as well, but the results would be more meaningful. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-studies-shown-prayer-to-be-effective/181330/17 "2003-06-13T14:06:44Z")
Huh, my typing ability is getting worse and worse. ---
**Author:** ![IzzyR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/2acd7d/32.png) [@IzzyR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IzzyR)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-studies-shown-prayer-to-be-effective/181330/18 "2003-06-13T14:13:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Priceguy \* > Why? If you gather up a bunch of guys and gals that were going to pray for the sick _anyway_, what difference does it make if they now do it as part of a study? Because they were not going to offer _these_ prayers for _these_ people. (If they were, then the study has a selection problem - i.e. it is not random). ---
**Author:** ![Isabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5a626/32.png) [@Isabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isabelle)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-studies-shown-prayer-to-be-effective/181330/19 "2003-06-13T14:14:15Z")
I doubt that it will make any difference to whomever is looking for an answer. Prayer is based on faith. Therefore there could never be a definitive answer to the question….in other words, I do not think Science can solve the riddle…since if they did…prayer would cease to be based on faith. Also, where such a research to exist, people would pass it off as it being a mental thing…like a “placebo” that works instead Of medicine…thy would call it the “magic sugar pill,” more or less… The only true way to know if it works or not, is to exercise faith and test it yourself… What God was prayed too? There is only one TRUE God and that is Jesus Christ. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-studies-shown-prayer-to-be-effective/181330/20 "2003-06-13T14:18:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Isabelle \* > **Also, where such a research to exist, people would pass it off as it being a mental thing…like a “placebo” that works instead > Of medicine…thy would call it the “magic sugar pill,” more or less…** That’s why the studies were/are/must be double-blind. The prayee doesn’t know he/she is being prayed to. That rules out the possibility of it being a placebo. > [@](#): > > \*\*What God was prayed too? There is only one TRUE God and that is Jesus Christ. \*\* No witnessing in General Questions, please. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-studies-shown-prayer-to-be-effective/181330.md?page=2)