by Kamaira Philips, Mind Body Spiritual Awareness
The idea that remote prayer (or distance healing) may be transmitted by the conscious mind through time and space to impact another human being (either in the past, present or future) may seem unbelievable. That is because it borders on the realms of the unknown, phenomena that science has just begun to reveal. But just because it has yet to be fully discovered and complexly supported doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist.
According to several studies from the last two decades, research on the power of prayer, particularly remote prayer or distance healing, has supported the theory that “Human conscious intention [also known as human consciousness or conscious awareness] including that delivered by prayer, may act remotely to evoke a healing response (Olshansky and Dossey, 2003).”
Research on the Healing Effects of Remote Prayer
From the beginning of human existence, prayer for the sick has been a common response by loved ones. In many societies and religious groups, prayer is believed to be one of the most important therapies that can be provided to improve one’s illness, often superseding even accepted medical interventions. Despite the common acceptance of prayer in society, the subject of intercessory prayer has rarely been subjected to scientific scrutiny (Harris 1999).
Intercessory prayer is the act of praying (in general with positive intent, to God or to the Universe) on behalf of others. Two studies conducted in 1988 and 1999 both concluded that remote intercessory prayer (prayer received from outside the hospital) was a statistically significant and effective adjunct to standard medical care. The prayed-for patients, who were being treated for cardiac conditions had fewer complications and a shorter hospital stay than their counterparts, who were not prayed for (Byrd 1988 and Harris 1999).
Prayer for the Well-being of People in the Past
This research intrigued scientist Leonard Leibovici to organize his own well-designed research study in July 2000 that tested the effects of “Remote Retroactive Intercessory Prayer,” which involves praying for people in the past.
Leibovici’s randomized controlled trial used names of over 3000 sepsis patients who had stayed in the hospital between 1990 and 1996 (4-10 years earlier). These names were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group.
A remote, retroactive prayer was said for the well-being and full recovery of the intervention group as a whole while the control group received no prayer. Remarkably, the intervention group, which was prayed for 4–10 years after their illness, had significantly shorter duration of fever and also shorter hospital stays when they were being treated 4-10 years earlier than the group that received no prayer. Mortality was similar in both groups.
How could it be possible that prayer in the present could affect past outcomes?
Not only does this suggest that prayer is powerful and effective, it also indicates that time is not as linear as we may think. Not all things that exist have been discovered. How time and consciousness operate at the fundamental level is a subject of contentious debate amongst physicists. Consciousness can be loosely defined as the awareness by the mind of itself and the world. It also encompasses the totality of our thoughts, feelings, and impressions—including human will and intent, which surface during prayer (Olshansky and Dossey, 2003). The past, present and future appear to be connected just as we are all connected to each other and as every cell in your body is connected to you.
Consciousness may be the energy that unites us all in the blanket of time.
This revelation on the continuous and cyclic nature of time may be supported by quantum theory in physics. Because Leibovici’s research supported the hypothesis that time was not linear, this could indicate that time has no beginning and no end. Using quantum theory, Einstein showed that the position and momentum of distant particles are correlated, regardless of separation, which resulted in the rejection of his theory of relativity (Olshansky and Dossey, 2003).
“If conscious intent can act retroactively, to affect past events, this will have profound implications for our understanding of prayer, consciousness, healing, and ourselves” ~ Olshansky and Dossey, 2003
Do you believe in the power of prayer?
Can the influence of consciousness extend across time and space to affect us all?
Is it possible for the present and future to influence the past?
“The next pioneer, the next piece of evidence, and the next well designed trial may provide better under-standing. Until then, we pray, encourage positive prayer, and support prayer’s timeless nature.” ~Olshansky and Dossey, 2003
References
Byrd RC Positive therapeutic effects of intercessory prayer in a coronary care unit population. South Med J. 1988; 81826- 829.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3393937
Harris WS, Gowda M, Kolb JW, et al. A Randomized, Controlled Trial of the Effects of Remote, Intercessory Prayer on Outcomes in Patients Admitted to the Coronary Care Unit. Arch Intern Med. 1999;159(19):2273-2278. doi:10.1001/archinte.159.19.2273. http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=485161#
Leibovici Leonard. Effects of remote, retroactive intercessory prayer on outcomes in patients with bloodstream infection: randomised controlled trial BMJ 2001; 323: 1450.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC61047/
Olshansky, B and Dossey, L. Retroactive prayer: a preposterous hypothesis? BMJ. 2003 Dec 20; 327(7429): 1465-8.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC300811/pdf/32701465.pdf
About the Author
Kamaira Philips, Bachelor of Music (BM), is a co-founder of Mind Body Spiritual Awareness www.mindbodyspiritualawareness.com. She is an operatic soprano, an intuitive energy healer and modern shaman, a meditation instructor, a certified EMT and a scientist. Kamaira is researching topics related to immunology, virology, and alternative medicine (sound healing, vibroacoustic therapy, mindfulness meditation) at UNC’s Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and at the UNC Program on Integrative Medicine.
