The Harvard Prayer Experiment

The study: With support from the Templeton Foundation, cardiologist Herbert Benson and his colleagues randomly assigned 1802 cardiac bypass patients to one of three conditions:

• those told they may or may not be prayed for (and who weren’t)
• those told they may or may not be prayed for (and who were)
• those told they would be prayed for (and who were)

David’s 1997 statement (PDF) suggesting “Why People of Faith Can Predict Null Effects in the Harvard Prayer Experiment”

American Heart Journal report of the study and its results

David’s further commentary on prayer studies:

Arm-twisting with the Almighty. (PDF) Myers, D. G. (2006, April 7). Science & Theology News.

Is prayer clinically effective? Myers, D. G. (2000). Reformed Review, 53(2), 95-102.

On assessing prayer, faith, and health. Myers, D. G. (2000). Reformed Review, 53(2), 119-126.