Prayer Healing

In a sight and hearing-impaired study in Africa, many reported that when the healer is in close proximity to the patient (often touching or hugging them), the patient shows remarkable improvement--even more than previously seen using hypnosis.

Candy Gunther Brown, associate professor of religious studies at Indiana University, reported that significant progress was made with patients with moderate to severe auditory and visual impairments.

"Placebo effects are certainly the best known of these kinds of mind-body interactions that take place," said Brown. "The effects could also be attributable to subjects being more motivated simply because they are being studied.

One physician believes that prayer and the power of touch and human connection may have some as-yet unexplained power to heal.