Guest guest Posted March 24, 2006 Report Share Posted March 24, 2006 Dear tw853, Most authorities Scientists, religious Leaders,Philosophers et al, that I have read,(as well as an illuminating article in the most prestigious Scientific journal Nature,many years ago,if I remember right)...aver that,Prayer is ... " a pure and simple exercise in auto-suggestion... " The power of this phenomenon has been quite cleverly exploited by,well nigh every religion known,and has also earned them trillions of Dollars...over the centuries...all,in the name of (poor)GOD...! The degree of Faith one has,or has developed in prayer is also an important 'player' ...to be factored in... This is also backed by my several years of experience of engaging in serious interviews/conversations/discussions with " believers " or people who truly believed that their " prayers were answered " and that they have thus " realised their objective " ...during my several visits to several shrines in India...all famous for their " miracles " ...and venerated by people belonging to different faiths...for this express reason...I have studied this " phenomenon " over the years...very carefully... The phenomenon in my humble opinion operates very simply... Let us say,at a given point in time,10 childless couples visit a particular shrine know no " granting one's fervent desire... " only 1 couple on an average actually beget a child...but this couple tom-toms the fact to the entire world that their wish was granted by the shrine...whereas,the couples who did not beget a child,keep their mouths shut and blame their fate,but do not tom-tom it to the world that they failed inspite of visiting such and such a shrine... ! By the way,our own 'definition' of GOD is that HE just cannot be thought of as bribable... ! ! OR, is it so...? It is my firm conviction after my years of experience, that The Law of Karma operates Uniformly and Universally... But vested interests help to promote the idea of " a miracle " only to help themselves or their town and it's business prosper...the above mentioned cycle is a perpetual cycle,once it has been started off,successfully...! ! ! Comments are welcome... With kind regards, Yours sincerely, L.Y.Rao. GOOD LUCK ! tw853 <tw853 wrote: Washington Post Newspaper Friday, March 24, 2006; Page A01 Researchers Look at Prayer and Healing Conclusions and Premises Debated as Big Study's Release Nears By Rob Stein Washington Post Staff Writer At the Fairfax Community Church in Virginia, the faithful regularly pray for ailing strangers. Same goes at the Adas Israel synagogue in Washington and the Islamic Center of Maryland in Gaithersburg. In churches, mosques, ashrams, " healing rooms, " prayer groups and homes nationwide, millions of Americans offer prayers daily to heal themselves, family, friends, co-workers and even people found through the Internet. Fueled by the upsurge in religious expression in the United States, prayer is the most common complement to mainstream medicine, far outpacing acupuncture, herbs, vitamins and other alternative remedies. Joseph Agbor visited the new " healing room " at Immanuel's Church in Silver Spring in hopes that prayer would help improve his blurred vision. " Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism -- every religion believes in prayer for healing, " said Paul Parker, a professor of theology and religion at Elmhurst College outside Chicago. " Some call it prayer, some call it cleansing the mind. The words or posture may vary. But in times of illness, all religions look towards their source of authority. " The outpouring of spiritual healing has inspired a small group of researchers to attempt to use the tools of modern science to test the power of prayer to cure others. The results have been mixed and highly controversial. Skeptics say the work is a deeply flawed and misguided waste of money that irresponsibly attempts to validate the supernatural with science. And some believers say it is pointless to try to divine the workings of God with experiments devised by mortals. Proponents, however, maintain the research is valuable, given the large numbers of people who believe in the power of prayer to influence health. Surveys have found that perhaps half of Americans regularly pray for their own health, and at least a quarter have others pray for them. " It's one of the most prevalent forms of healing. Open-minded scientists have a responsibility to look into this, " said Marilyn J. Schlitz of the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. The contentious enterprise is at something of a crossroads. Two new studies are about to report no benefit of having people pray for the sick, the only study underway is nearing completion, and the largest, best-designed project is being published in two weeks. Its eagerly awaited findings could sound the death knell for the field, breathe new life into such efforts, or create new debate. " I will guarantee you that study will have a very interesting impact on a lot of people's thinking, " said Mitchell W. Krucoff of Duke University, who wrote an editorial that will accompany the closely guarded findings in the American Heart Journal. " But how you interpret the results will probably depend on your point of view. " Many studies done over the years indicate that the devout tend to be healthier. But the reasons remain far from clear. Healthy people may be more likely to join churches. The pious may lead more wholesome lifestyles. Churches, synagogues and mosques may help people take better care of themselves. The quiet meditation and incantations of praying, or the comfort of being prayed for, appears to lower blood pressure, reduce stress hormones, slow the heart rate and have other potentially beneficial effects. But the most controversial research focuses on " intercessory " or " distant " prayer, which involves people trying to heal others through their intentions, thoughts or prayers, sometimes without the recipients knowing it. The federal government has spent $2.2 million in the past five years on studies of distant healing, which have also drawn support from private foundations. San Francisco cardiologist Randolph Byrd, for example, conducted an experiment in which he asked born-again Christians to pray for 192 people hospitalized for heart problems, comparing them with 201 not targeted for prayer. No one knew which group they were in. He reported in 1988 that those who were prayed for needed fewer drugs and less help breathing. William S. Harris of St. Luke's Hospital in Kansas City, Mo., and colleagues published similar results in 1999 from a study involving nearly 1,000 heart patients, about half of whom were prayed for without their knowledge. But these and other studies have been called deeply flawed. They were, for example, analyzed in the most favorable way possible, looking at so many outcomes that the positive findings could easily have been the result of chance, critics say. " It's called the sharpshooter's fallacy, " said Richard Sloan, a behavioral researcher at Columbia University. " The sharpshooter empties the gun into the side of a barn and then draws the bull's- eye. In science, you have to predict in advance what effect you may have. " Joseph Agbor visited the new " healing room " at Immanuel's Church in Silver Spring in hopes that prayer would help improve his blurred vision. more contentious, such as a 2001 project involving fertility patients that became mired in accusations of fraud. " I would like to see us stop wasting precious research dollars putting religious practices to the test of science, " Sloan said. " It's a waste of money, and it trivializes the religious experience. " Even some advocates of incorporating more prayer and spirituality into medicine agree. " I don't see how you could quantify prayer -- either the results of it or the substance of it, " said the Rev. Raymond J. Lawrence of New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. " God is beyond the reach of science. It's absurd to think you could use it to examine God's play. " Krucoff, a cardiologist, published a study last summer involving 748 heart patients at nine hospitals. That study failed overall to show any benefit. But Krucoff said he did find tantalizing hints that warrant follow-up: A subset of patients who had a second group of people praying that the prayers of the first group would be answered may have done better. That underscores one of the many difficulties that critics and advocates say makes studying prayer problematic: There is no way to quantify the " dose, " and no way to know whether people outside the study may be praying for its subjects, diluting the effects. Joseph Agbor visited the new " healing room " at Immanuel's Church in Silver Spring in hopes that prayer would help improve his blurred vision. (By Preston Keres -- The Washington Post) Two smaller, more recently completed studies illustrate yet another problem. Each involved about 150 patients with brain tumors or AIDS. Only some were targeted by " distant healing " and only some knew they were the recipients. But in addition to traditional prayers, many of the dozens of " healers " used other approaches, such as visualizing patients and sending a " healing intention " or " energy " or " light. " Both studies, which will be published later this year, did not show any effect. But neither of the researchers who led them is advocating giving up, saying their studies may have been doomed by including too many healing variations. The only ongoing study is also testing whether a spectrum of healers can help -- in this case, women who are recovering from reconstructive surgery after breast cancer. Doctors are inserting tiny tubes under the skin of about 90 women to measure the growth of collagen, which is necessary for healing, to see if those targeted by healers accumulate more than those who do not. The study will end this spring. Krucoff and others say it is also important to study prayer as an adjunct -- not a replacement -- to standard medical care, to make sure it is safe. " Human physiology is a very delicate equilibrium. When you throw energy you don't understand into this, it would be naive to think you could only do good, " he said. In the hope of shedding light on that and other questions, researchers are awaiting the results of the study led by Herbert Benson of Harvard University, which involved about 1,800 heart- bypass patients at six centers who were divided into three groups. Only some of them knew whether they were receiving prayer. " What that study finds will help tell us which way to go -- whether there are intriguing findings or the book ought to be closed on this topic, " said Harold Koenig of Duke University. But researchers on both sides, as well as those who believe in prayer, say the results of that and other studies are unlikely to change many minds. " I don't think it will alter my beliefs one way or the other, " said Trish Lankowski, who started a healing room at Immanuel's Church in Silver Spring this past Sunday night. " I believe in the power of prayer wholeheartedly. I know it works. " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 24, 2006 Report Share Posted March 24, 2006 Dear tw853, Further to my earlier e-mail,may I also recommend to you the very famous and illuminating book " MIND POWER... Many of the myths or suggestions of " believers " as well as the non-believers...of various faiths will be explained very scientifically,with actual experiments performed over live subjects(mostly trained scientists themselves),and filmed/video-graphed for posterity,in very famous(by now) Universities,including Stanford in the US, and Kirov University in the USSR,the filming of a " spirit-like luminescent body out of the theatre,from a human being at the moment of death... " , is one such recording of the many such,as yet/ hitherto unseen facts... Perhaps this ONE book,could go a long way to find answers to the subject you have raised,and,most convincingly...! There have been many books published on this and allied experiments available in the better book-shops...all over the world... With kind regards, L.Y.Rao. GOOD LUCK ! tw853 <tw853 wrote: Washington Post Newspaper Friday, March 24, 2006; Page A01 Researchers Look at Prayer and Healing Conclusions and Premises Debated as Big Study's Release Nears By Rob Stein Washington Post Staff Writer At the Fairfax Community Church in Virginia, the faithful regularly pray for ailing strangers. Same goes at the Adas Israel synagogue in Washington and the Islamic Center of Maryland in Gaithersburg. In churches, mosques, ashrams, " healing rooms, " prayer groups and homes nationwide, millions of Americans offer prayers daily to heal themselves, family, friends, co-workers and even people found through the Internet. Fueled by the upsurge in religious expression in the United States, prayer is the most common complement to mainstream medicine, far outpacing acupuncture, herbs, vitamins and other alternative remedies. Joseph Agbor visited the new " healing room " at Immanuel's Church in Silver Spring in hopes that prayer would help improve his blurred vision. " Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism -- every religion believes in prayer for healing, " said Paul Parker, a professor of theology and religion at Elmhurst College outside Chicago. " Some call it prayer, some call it cleansing the mind. The words or posture may vary. But in times of illness, all religions look towards their source of authority. " The outpouring of spiritual healing has inspired a small group of researchers to attempt to use the tools of modern science to test the power of prayer to cure others. The results have been mixed and highly controversial. Skeptics say the work is a deeply flawed and misguided waste of money that irresponsibly attempts to validate the supernatural with science. And some believers say it is pointless to try to divine the workings of God with experiments devised by mortals. Proponents, however, maintain the research is valuable, given the large numbers of people who believe in the power of prayer to influence health. Surveys have found that perhaps half of Americans regularly pray for their own health, and at least a quarter have others pray for them. " It's one of the most prevalent forms of healing. Open-minded scientists have a responsibility to look into this, " said Marilyn J. Schlitz of the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. The contentious enterprise is at something of a crossroads. Two new studies are about to report no benefit of having people pray for the sick, the only study underway is nearing completion, and the largest, best-designed project is being published in two weeks. Its eagerly awaited findings could sound the death knell for the field, breathe new life into such efforts, or create new debate. " I will guarantee you that study will have a very interesting impact on a lot of people's thinking, " said Mitchell W. Krucoff of Duke University, who wrote an editorial that will accompany the closely guarded findings in the American Heart Journal. " But how you interpret the results will probably depend on your point of view. " Many studies done over the years indicate that the devout tend to be healthier. But the reasons remain far from clear. Healthy people may be more likely to join churches. The pious may lead more wholesome lifestyles. Churches, synagogues and mosques may help people take better care of themselves. The quiet meditation and incantations of praying, or the comfort of being prayed for, appears to lower blood pressure, reduce stress hormones, slow the heart rate and have other potentially beneficial effects. But the most controversial research focuses on " intercessory " or " distant " prayer, which involves people trying to heal others through their intentions, thoughts or prayers, sometimes without the recipients knowing it. The federal government has spent $2.2 million in the past five years on studies of distant healing, which have also drawn support from private foundations. San Francisco cardiologist Randolph Byrd, for example, conducted an experiment in which he asked born-again Christians to pray for 192 people hospitalized for heart problems, comparing them with 201 not targeted for prayer. No one knew which group they were in. He reported in 1988 that those who were prayed for needed fewer drugs and less help breathing. William S. Harris of St. Luke's Hospital in Kansas City, Mo., and colleagues published similar results in 1999 from a study involving nearly 1,000 heart patients, about half of whom were prayed for without their knowledge. But these and other studies have been called deeply flawed. They were, for example, analyzed in the most favorable way possible, looking at so many outcomes that the positive findings could easily have been the result of chance, critics say. " It's called the sharpshooter's fallacy, " said Richard Sloan, a behavioral researcher at Columbia University. " The sharpshooter empties the gun into the side of a barn and then draws the bull's- eye. In science, you have to predict in advance what effect you may have. " Joseph Agbor visited the new " healing room " at Immanuel's Church in Silver Spring in hopes that prayer would help improve his blurred vision. more contentious, such as a 2001 project involving fertility patients that became mired in accusations of fraud. " I would like to see us stop wasting precious research dollars putting religious practices to the test of science, " Sloan said. " It's a waste of money, and it trivializes the religious experience. " Even some advocates of incorporating more prayer and spirituality into medicine agree. " I don't see how you could quantify prayer -- either the results of it or the substance of it, " said the Rev. Raymond J. Lawrence of New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. " God is beyond the reach of science. It's absurd to think you could use it to examine God's play. " Krucoff, a cardiologist, published a study last summer involving 748 heart patients at nine hospitals. That study failed overall to show any benefit. But Krucoff said he did find tantalizing hints that warrant follow-up: A subset of patients who had a second group of people praying that the prayers of the first group would be answered may have done better. That underscores one of the many difficulties that critics and advocates say makes studying prayer problematic: There is no way to quantify the " dose, " and no way to know whether people outside the study may be praying for its subjects, diluting the effects. Joseph Agbor visited the new " healing room " at Immanuel's Church in Silver Spring in hopes that prayer would help improve his blurred vision. (By Preston Keres -- The Washington Post) Two smaller, more recently completed studies illustrate yet another problem. Each involved about 150 patients with brain tumors or AIDS. Only some were targeted by " distant healing " and only some knew they were the recipients. But in addition to traditional prayers, many of the dozens of " healers " used other approaches, such as visualizing patients and sending a " healing intention " or " energy " or " light. " Both studies, which will be published later this year, did not show any effect. But neither of the researchers who led them is advocating giving up, saying their studies may have been doomed by including too many healing variations. The only ongoing study is also testing whether a spectrum of healers can help -- in this case, women who are recovering from reconstructive surgery after breast cancer. Doctors are inserting tiny tubes under the skin of about 90 women to measure the growth of collagen, which is necessary for healing, to see if those targeted by healers accumulate more than those who do not. The study will end this spring. Krucoff and others say it is also important to study prayer as an adjunct -- not a replacement -- to standard medical care, to make sure it is safe. " Human physiology is a very delicate equilibrium. When you throw energy you don't understand into this, it would be naive to think you could only do good, " he said. In the hope of shedding light on that and other questions, researchers are awaiting the results of the study led by Herbert Benson of Harvard University, which involved about 1,800 heart- bypass patients at six centers who were divided into three groups. Only some of them knew whether they were receiving prayer. " What that study finds will help tell us which way to go -- whether there are intriguing findings or the book ought to be closed on this topic, " said Harold Koenig of Duke University. But researchers on both sides, as well as those who believe in prayer, say the results of that and other studies are unlikely to change many minds. " I don't think it will alter my beliefs one way or the other, " said Trish Lankowski, who started a healing room at Immanuel's Church in Silver Spring this past Sunday night. " I believe in the power of prayer wholeheartedly. I know it works. " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 24, 2006 Report Share Posted March 24, 2006 Dear tw853, Further to my last e-mail... All Living Beings,including Man, fear death most...and it is this fear of Man is that is the most exploited by everybody,in their own different ways...for their own different selfish purposes... Religious Leaders,Lawyers,Doctors,the Law enforcers, the Criminals...you name them...each according to his selfish need...and how they use the power the power the weild over you...and exploit your " majboori " ,and helplessness...! Life is like that...in the RAW...! ! Most people are exploited by this fear-of-death,in ingenious ways,as is well-known to all discerning people...doesn't this explain why Temples and Churches,.Mosques,Synagogues etc., are very rich...and that religion is today the world's LARGEST single Business-Enterprise...! ? Many a defrocked preist/monk will tell you many an interesting true-story,provided he confides in you... There are many novels,movies and true stories published in Newspapers & Magazines...all confirming the above... I am speaking from personal experience,and from conversations with friends in various " religious orders " from different religions... Would you like to share your experiences...? Yours sincerely, L.Y.Rao. GOOD LUCK ! tw853 <tw853 wrote: Washington Post Newspaper Friday, March 24, 2006; Page A01 Researchers Look at Prayer and Healing Conclusions and Premises Debated as Big Study's Release Nears By Rob Stein Washington Post Staff Writer At the Fairfax Community Church in Virginia, the faithful regularly pray for ailing strangers. Same goes at the Adas Israel synagogue in Washington and the Islamic Center of Maryland in Gaithersburg. In churches, mosques, ashrams, " healing rooms, " prayer groups and homes nationwide, millions of Americans offer prayers daily to heal themselves, family, friends, co-workers and even people found through the Internet. Fueled by the upsurge in religious expression in the United States, prayer is the most common complement to mainstream medicine, far outpacing acupuncture, herbs, vitamins and other alternative remedies. Joseph Agbor visited the new " healing room " at Immanuel's Church in Silver Spring in hopes that prayer would help improve his blurred vision. " Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism -- every religion believes in prayer for healing, " said Paul Parker, a professor of theology and religion at Elmhurst College outside Chicago. " Some call it prayer, some call it cleansing the mind. The words or posture may vary. But in times of illness, all religions look towards their source of authority. " The outpouring of spiritual healing has inspired a small group of researchers to attempt to use the tools of modern science to test the power of prayer to cure others. The results have been mixed and highly controversial. Skeptics say the work is a deeply flawed and misguided waste of money that irresponsibly attempts to validate the supernatural with science. And some believers say it is pointless to try to divine the workings of God with experiments devised by mortals. Proponents, however, maintain the research is valuable, given the large numbers of people who believe in the power of prayer to influence health. Surveys have found that perhaps half of Americans regularly pray for their own health, and at least a quarter have others pray for them. " It's one of the most prevalent forms of healing. Open-minded scientists have a responsibility to look into this, " said Marilyn J. Schlitz of the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. The contentious enterprise is at something of a crossroads. Two new studies are about to report no benefit of having people pray for the sick, the only study underway is nearing completion, and the largest, best-designed project is being published in two weeks. Its eagerly awaited findings could sound the death knell for the field, breathe new life into such efforts, or create new debate. " I will guarantee you that study will have a very interesting impact on a lot of people's thinking, " said Mitchell W. Krucoff of Duke University, who wrote an editorial that will accompany the closely guarded findings in the American Heart Journal. " But how you interpret the results will probably depend on your point of view. " Many studies done over the years indicate that the devout tend to be healthier. But the reasons remain far from clear. Healthy people may be more likely to join churches. The pious may lead more wholesome lifestyles. Churches, synagogues and mosques may help people take better care of themselves. The quiet meditation and incantations of praying, or the comfort of being prayed for, appears to lower blood pressure, reduce stress hormones, slow the heart rate and have other potentially beneficial effects. But the most controversial research focuses on " intercessory " or " distant " prayer, which involves people trying to heal others through their intentions, thoughts or prayers, sometimes without the recipients knowing it. The federal government has spent $2.2 million in the past five years on studies of distant healing, which have also drawn support from private foundations. San Francisco cardiologist Randolph Byrd, for example, conducted an experiment in which he asked born-again Christians to pray for 192 people hospitalized for heart problems, comparing them with 201 not targeted for prayer. No one knew which group they were in. He reported in 1988 that those who were prayed for needed fewer drugs and less help breathing. William S. Harris of St. Luke's Hospital in Kansas City, Mo., and colleagues published similar results in 1999 from a study involving nearly 1,000 heart patients, about half of whom were prayed for without their knowledge. But these and other studies have been called deeply flawed. They were, for example, analyzed in the most favorable way possible, looking at so many outcomes that the positive findings could easily have been the result of chance, critics say. " It's called the sharpshooter's fallacy, " said Richard Sloan, a behavioral researcher at Columbia University. " The sharpshooter empties the gun into the side of a barn and then draws the bull's- eye. In science, you have to predict in advance what effect you may have. " Joseph Agbor visited the new " healing room " at Immanuel's Church in Silver Spring in hopes that prayer would help improve his blurred vision. more contentious, such as a 2001 project involving fertility patients that became mired in accusations of fraud. " I would like to see us stop wasting precious research dollars putting religious practices to the test of science, " Sloan said. " It's a waste of money, and it trivializes the religious experience. " Even some advocates of incorporating more prayer and spirituality into medicine agree. " I don't see how you could quantify prayer -- either the results of it or the substance of it, " said the Rev. Raymond J. Lawrence of New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. " God is beyond the reach of science. It's absurd to think you could use it to examine God's play. " Krucoff, a cardiologist, published a study last summer involving 748 heart patients at nine hospitals. That study failed overall to show any benefit. But Krucoff said he did find tantalizing hints that warrant follow-up: A subset of patients who had a second group of people praying that the prayers of the first group would be answered may have done better. That underscores one of the many difficulties that critics and advocates say makes studying prayer problematic: There is no way to quantify the " dose, " and no way to know whether people outside the study may be praying for its subjects, diluting the effects. Joseph Agbor visited the new " healing room " at Immanuel's Church in Silver Spring in hopes that prayer would help improve his blurred vision. (By Preston Keres -- The Washington Post) Two smaller, more recently completed studies illustrate yet another problem. Each involved about 150 patients with brain tumors or AIDS. Only some were targeted by " distant healing " and only some knew they were the recipients. But in addition to traditional prayers, many of the dozens of " healers " used other approaches, such as visualizing patients and sending a " healing intention " or " energy " or " light. " Both studies, which will be published later this year, did not show any effect. But neither of the researchers who led them is advocating giving up, saying their studies may have been doomed by including too many healing variations. The only ongoing study is also testing whether a spectrum of healers can help -- in this case, women who are recovering from reconstructive surgery after breast cancer. Doctors are inserting tiny tubes under the skin of about 90 women to measure the growth of collagen, which is necessary for healing, to see if those targeted by healers accumulate more than those who do not. The study will end this spring. Krucoff and others say it is also important to study prayer as an adjunct -- not a replacement -- to standard medical care, to make sure it is safe. " Human physiology is a very delicate equilibrium. When you throw energy you don't understand into this, it would be naive to think you could only do good, " he said. In the hope of shedding light on that and other questions, researchers are awaiting the results of the study led by Herbert Benson of Harvard University, which involved about 1,800 heart- bypass patients at six centers who were divided into three groups. Only some of them knew whether they were receiving prayer. " What that study finds will help tell us which way to go -- whether there are intriguing findings or the book ought to be closed on this topic, " said Harold Koenig of Duke University. But researchers on both sides, as well as those who believe in prayer, say the results of that and other studies are unlikely to change many minds. " I don't think it will alter my beliefs one way or the other, " said Trish Lankowski, who started a healing room at Immanuel's Church in Silver Spring this past Sunday night. " I believe in the power of prayer wholeheartedly. I know it works. " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 26, 2006 Report Share Posted March 26, 2006 Dear All, I meet many Gyani Saint and after that I understand that GOD is for Salvation or Liberation of Soul not for to solve our social or personal problem. God is not free to give us money or child or wife etc. I read some were : MAN WAS BORN HE SUFFER AND HE DIED. out of our Karma we can't get anything.the roll of astrology is to give light ..Astrologer can't solve problem .astrologer give light on our problem. regards Kanak Yogesh Rao Lajmi <lyrastro1 wrote: Dear tw853, Most authorities Scientists, religious Leaders,Philosophers et al, that I have read,(as well as an illuminating article in the most prestigious Scientific journal Nature,many years ago,if I remember right)...aver that,Prayer is ... " a pure and simple exercise in auto-suggestion... " The power of this phenomenon has been quite cleverly exploited by,well nigh every religion known,and has also earned them trillions of Dollars...over the centuries...all,in the name of (poor)GOD...! The degree of Faith one has,or has developed in prayer is also an important 'player' ...to be factored in... This is also backed by my several years of experience of engaging in serious interviews/conversations/discussions with " believers " or people who truly believed that their " prayers were answered " and that they have thus " realised their objective " ...during my several visits to several shrines in India...all famous for their " miracles " ...and venerated by people belonging to different faiths...for this express reason...I have studied this " phenomenon " over the years...very carefully... The phenomenon in my humble opinion operates very simply... Let us say,at a given point in time,10 childless couples visit a particular shrine know no " granting one's fervent desire... " only 1 couple on an average actually beget a child...but this couple tom-toms the fact to the entire world that their wish was granted by the shrine...whereas,the couples who did not beget a child,keep their mouths shut and blame their fate,but do not tom-tom it to the world that they failed inspite of visiting such and such a shrine... ! By the way,our own 'definition' of GOD is that HE just cannot be thought of as bribable... ! ! OR, is it so...? It is my firm conviction after my years of experience, that The Law of Karma operates Uniformly and Universally... But vested interests help to promote the idea of " a miracle " only to help themselves or their town and it's business prosper...the above mentioned cycle is a perpetual cycle,once it has been started off,successfully...! ! ! Comments are welcome... With kind regards, Yours sincerely, L.Y.Rao. GOOD LUCK ! tw853 <tw853 wrote: Washington Post Newspaper Friday, March 24, 2006; Page A01 Researchers Look at Prayer and Healing Conclusions and Premises Debated as Big Study's Release Nears By Rob Stein Washington Post Staff Writer At the Fairfax Community Church in Virginia, the faithful regularly pray for ailing strangers. Same goes at the Adas Israel synagogue in Washington and the Islamic Center of Maryland in Gaithersburg. In churches, mosques, ashrams, " healing rooms, " prayer groups and homes nationwide, millions of Americans offer prayers daily to heal themselves, family, friends, co-workers and even people found through the Internet. Fueled by the upsurge in religious expression in the United States, prayer is the most common complement to mainstream medicine, far outpacing acupuncture, herbs, vitamins and other alternative remedies. Joseph Agbor visited the new " healing room " at Immanuel's Church in Silver Spring in hopes that prayer would help improve his blurred vision. " Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism -- every religion believes in prayer for healing, " said Paul Parker, a professor of theology and religion at Elmhurst College outside Chicago. " Some call it prayer, some call it cleansing the mind. The words or posture may vary. But in times of illness, all religions look towards their source of authority. " The outpouring of spiritual healing has inspired a small group of researchers to attempt to use the tools of modern science to test the power of prayer to cure others. The results have been mixed and highly controversial. Skeptics say the work is a deeply flawed and misguided waste of money that irresponsibly attempts to validate the supernatural with science. And some believers say it is pointless to try to divine the workings of God with experiments devised by mortals. Proponents, however, maintain the research is valuable, given the large numbers of people who believe in the power of prayer to influence health. Surveys have found that perhaps half of Americans regularly pray for their own health, and at least a quarter have others pray for them. " It's one of the most prevalent forms of healing. Open-minded scientists have a responsibility to look into this, " said Marilyn J. Schlitz of the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. The contentious enterprise is at something of a crossroads. Two new studies are about to report no benefit of having people pray for the sick, the only study underway is nearing completion, and the largest, best-designed project is being published in two weeks. Its eagerly awaited findings could sound the death knell for the field, breathe new life into such efforts, or create new debate. " I will guarantee you that study will have a very interesting impact on a lot of people's thinking, " said Mitchell W. Krucoff of Duke University, who wrote an editorial that will accompany the closely guarded findings in the American Heart Journal. " But how you interpret the results will probably depend on your point of view. " Many studies done over the years indicate that the devout tend to be healthier. But the reasons remain far from clear. Healthy people may be more likely to join churches. The pious may lead more wholesome lifestyles. Churches, synagogues and mosques may help people take better care of themselves. The quiet meditation and incantations of praying, or the comfort of being prayed for, appears to lower blood pressure, reduce stress hormones, slow the heart rate and have other potentially beneficial effects. But the most controversial research focuses on " intercessory " or " distant " prayer, which involves people trying to heal others through their intentions, thoughts or prayers, sometimes without the recipients knowing it. The federal government has spent $2.2 million in the past five years on studies of distant healing, which have also drawn support from private foundations. San Francisco cardiologist Randolph Byrd, for example, conducted an experiment in which he asked born-again Christians to pray for 192 people hospitalized for heart problems, comparing them with 201 not targeted for prayer. No one knew which group they were in. He reported in 1988 that those who were prayed for needed fewer drugs and less help breathing. William S. Harris of St. Luke's Hospital in Kansas City, Mo., and colleagues published similar results in 1999 from a study involving nearly 1,000 heart patients, about half of whom were prayed for without their knowledge. But these and other studies have been called deeply flawed. They were, for example, analyzed in the most favorable way possible, looking at so many outcomes that the positive findings could easily have been the result of chance, critics say. " It's called the sharpshooter's fallacy, " said Richard Sloan, a behavioral researcher at Columbia University. " The sharpshooter empties the gun into the side of a barn and then draws the bull's- eye. In science, you have to predict in advance what effect you may have. " Joseph Agbor visited the new " healing room " at Immanuel's Church in Silver Spring in hopes that prayer would help improve his blurred vision. more contentious, such as a 2001 project involving fertility patients that became mired in accusations of fraud. " I would like to see us stop wasting precious research dollars putting religious practices to the test of science, " Sloan said. " It's a waste of money, and it trivializes the religious experience. " Even some advocates of incorporating more prayer and spirituality into medicine agree. " I don't see how you could quantify prayer -- either the results of it or the substance of it, " said the Rev. Raymond J. Lawrence of New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. " God is beyond the reach of science. It's absurd to think you could use it to examine God's play. " Krucoff, a cardiologist, published a study last summer involving 748 heart patients at nine hospitals. That study failed overall to show any benefit. But Krucoff said he did find tantalizing hints that warrant follow-up: A subset of patients who had a second group of people praying that the prayers of the first group would be answered may have done better. That underscores one of the many difficulties that critics and advocates say makes studying prayer problematic: There is no way to quantify the " dose, " and no way to know whether people outside the study may be praying for its subjects, diluting the effects. Joseph Agbor visited the new " healing room " at Immanuel's Church in Silver Spring in hopes that prayer would help improve his blurred vision. (By Preston Keres -- The Washington Post) Two smaller, more recently completed studies illustrate yet another problem. Each involved about 150 patients with brain tumors or AIDS. Only some were targeted by " distant healing " and only some knew they were the recipients. But in addition to traditional prayers, many of the dozens of " healers " used other approaches, such as visualizing patients and sending a " healing intention " or " energy " or " light. " Both studies, which will be published later this year, did not show any effect. But neither of the researchers who led them is advocating giving up, saying their studies may have been doomed by including too many healing variations. The only ongoing study is also testing whether a spectrum of healers can help -- in this case, women who are recovering from reconstructive surgery after breast cancer. Doctors are inserting tiny tubes under the skin of about 90 women to measure the growth of collagen, which is necessary for healing, to see if those targeted by healers accumulate more than those who do not. The study will end this spring. Krucoff and others say it is also important to study prayer as an adjunct -- not a replacement -- to standard medical care, to make sure it is safe. " Human physiology is a very delicate equilibrium. When you throw energy you don't understand into this, it would be naive to think you could only do good, " he said. In the hope of shedding light on that and other questions, researchers are awaiting the results of the study led by Herbert Benson of Harvard University, which involved about 1,800 heart- bypass patients at six centers who were divided into three groups. Only some of them knew whether they were receiving prayer. " What that study finds will help tell us which way to go -- whether there are intriguing findings or the book ought to be closed on this topic, " said Harold Koenig of Duke University. But researchers on both sides, as well as those who believe in prayer, say the results of that and other studies are unlikely to change many minds. " I don't think it will alter my beliefs one way or the other, " said Trish Lankowski, who started a healing room at Immanuel's Church in Silver Spring this past Sunday night. " I believe in the power of prayer wholeheartedly. I know it works. " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 26, 2006 Report Share Posted March 26, 2006 Yes I agree with Mr.Rao that every living being is afraid of death. Among the living creatures human being is blessed with intellect and thinking power. with this he should try to understand the essence of spiritual truth. The cause of fear is due to our belief and attachment to this physical body which is mortal and temporary. The permanent and immortal being is Atman. when we shift our direction thinking and action from meta physical world to spiritual world, I think we may not have that fear of death etc. I observe that the main cause of human suffering is attachment. The more we have attachement, the more we feel suffering on the loss of such things/persons with which we have attachment. No attachmwent means no suffering and no fear of suffering. Ofcourse preaching is very easy but practice is more difficult though not impossible. Good Luck Naidu KP Jiyo cricket on India cricket Messenger Mobile Stay in touch with your buddies all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.