SowasI.Istumbledblindlyintotheresearchonprayerduringthe1980s,when
someonesentmeascientificpaperinwhichprayerwastestedinamodernhospital
inalargegroupofheartpatients.Ithadneveroccurredtomethatanyonewouldac-
tuallytestprayerlikeanewmedication-prayingforhalfthepatientsandnotforthe
otherhalf,whowerethe“controls,”andmeasuringtheresults.Thisstudystrongly
suggestedatherapeuticeffectofdistant,intercessoryprayer.AfterIrecoveredfrom
mysurprise,Iaskedmyself,Ifprayerworks,shouldn’tIbeprayingformypa-
tients? 177
SothepracticeofhealingprayerwhichexistedancientKamithasfounditswayintothehallsofmod-
ernmedicine.Dr.Dosseygoesontosaythattheeffectdoesnotoperateexclusivelyinanyparticular
religion.
FollowingthepublicationofmybookHealingWords:ThePowerofPrayerand
thePracticeofMedicine,IdiscoveredthatmanyofRose’spredictionsweretrue.
Fundamentalistgroupsfromaroundthecountryreactedwithoutrage,condemning
thescientificevidenceas“occult”and“NewAge”withoutstoppingtoconsider
whetherornotthestudieswerevalid.Theprimaryreasontheywereoffended
seemstobethattheprayerexperimentsshow,asRosestates,that“peoplefrom
manyreligioustraditionsdoequallywellonthesetests.”Inotherwords,theexperi-
mentsmakeclearthatnospecificreligionhasamonopolyonprayer.Thisiscon-
trarytothebeliefofmanyfundamentaliststhattheAlmightyisattunedmainlyor
exclusivelytothem;thatthosewhoarenot“saved”can’treallyprayeffectively;
andthattheonlygenuineprayerpeopleoutsidetheirfaithcanofferisformercy
andforgiveness.Toanyoneholdingsuchbeliefs,theprayerexperimentsrepresenta
colossalconflictbetweenscienceandfaith.Whenthesetwoworldscollide,itis
usually science that gets tossed out and dogma that is retained. 178
Thesemodernresearchesshowthathealingcannotbesimplyamatterofprescribingdrugsorherbs
forthebody.Itmusttakeintoaccounttheneedsofthemental-emotionalandspiritualaspectsofthe
personalityaswell.Therefore,thehealerneedstobenotjustascientist,butalsoaphilosopheranda
spiritualist.Thescientisttakescareofthebody,thephilosophertakescareofthemindandemotions,
andthespiritualisttakescareofthesoulandleadsapersontoharmonyandpeace,andthesearethe
springboards to health and enlightenment.
Itisimportanttounderstandthatwhileprayerandparticipationinreligiondohaveaneffectonheal-
ing,itisalsotruethatultimatelythelifestylewilldiminishorevencanceloutanygainsthataremade
throughprayerandspiritualpursuitsifthenaturallawsofhealthylivingarenotfollowed.After
buildingalargeChristianministry,theReverendGeorgeH.Malkmuscontractedcancer.Heleftthe
ministryinsearchofalternativetherapies,sincehedidnotwanttodieduetosideeffectsoftradition-
alwesternmedicaltreatmentsforcancerlikesurgery,radiationandchemotherapy,ashismotherdid.
Hewasshockedabouthisillness,thinkingthatasaminister,heandotherministersintheChristian
churchshouldhavebeenexemptfromsuchsufferingduetotheirsupposedpietyanddivinegraceas