Testing Healing Prayer Scientifically

The World Health Organization estimates that 278 million people, 80 percent of whom live in developing countries, have moderate to profound hearing loss in both ears; and 314 million people, 87 percent of whom live in developing countries, are visually impaired. Only a tiny fraction of these populations currently receive any treatment.

The above paragraph is part of a fascinating article that will appear in the September 2010 issue of the Southern Meical Journal. Some researchers from Indiana University did a study in both Mozambique and Brazil where, as you read above, hearing aids and glasses are not too available. The researchers tested prayer in proximity (PIP), which is the Charismatic/Pentecostal way of praying for people in person, often laying hands on them. The results were quite dramatic as there was significant improvement in the subjects. The researchers found those with acute vision and hearing problems because they wanted a medical condition that could be proved through hearing tests and vision charts rather than subjects simply saying "they felt better." They tested 25 people in a rural part Mozambique -- 14 with serious hearing loss, and 11 with serious vision problems. I felt it was vague as to if all 25 improved, although the article seemed to indicate this. In some cases there was dramatic improvement after prayer was administered.

I will report on this further when the September Issue comes out. Here is the link from which I gleaned this information:

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-08/iu-sfp080310.php