Empirical testing of prayer

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The empirical testing of prayer is a controversial issue.

Rationalists might offer the task to prayerful people to cause some slight change in the world via the power of prayer, such as tipping a pen off their desk. Religionists might respond that such tasks are beneath the dignity of their gods, so as to avoid the inevitable loss of face at being unable to do so. A search in pubmed on "intercessory prayer" shows that much of the medical ethical boards and philosophy gurus are all dubious if one can even study such a thing.[1]

Some woo-meisters take the position that prayer and other religious twaddle can have documented effects on a person's health. In some cases they go so far as to claim that they put a sick person in one room, and an alternative guru in another room behind a two-sided mirror, and that when the guru prayed, the sick person got better.[2]

When looked at as a biological, mental process, focused prayer has much the same personal effects as chanting, meditation or other methods of altered states of mind. Studies show that the act of prayer can help a person deal with stress and pain.[3] There is even proof that these mental activities physically alter the hippocampus which can effect people with depression[4].

[edit] See also

[edit] Footnotes

  1. The ethics of studying remote prayer.
  2. a review of studies on intercessory prayer
  3. Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density. Hölzel BK, Carmody J, Vangel M, Congleton C, Yerramsetti SM, Gard T, Lazar SW. Psychiatry Res. 2011 Jan 30;191(1):36-43. Epub 2010 Nov 10.
  4. Functional magnetic resonance imaging of hippocampal activation during silent mantra meditation. Engström M, Pihlsgård J, Lundberg P, Söderfeldt B. J Altern Complement Med. 2010 Dec;16(12):1253-8.
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