Listen Deeply

Cynthia Sue Larson on the Patricia Fuqua television show

"You need to "listen deeply" - listen past what people say they want to hear what they need." -- Jon Meads When I read the most recent intercessory prayer study results indicating that Prayer Doesn't Affect Heart Patients, I sensed there was much more to this story than first meets the eye. Results from this study, appearing this month in the American Heart Journal, describe how heart bypass surgery patients who were prayed for encountered just as many complications as those patients who received no such prayers, and patients who were told they were being prayed for suffered more complications than any other study group. More than 1,800 coronary artery bypass graft surgery patients were divided into three groups: (1) Patients who were told that someone was praying for them; (2) Patients who were told only that someone might pray for them and got prayers; (3) Patients who were told someone might pray for them but received no prayers. About 65% of the patients said they strongly believed in the power of prayer. Prayer services were provided by two Catholic monasteries and one Protestant group who were given patients' first names and the first initial of their last names, and who began praying the night before each patient's surgery and continued for two weeks after surgery. All people doing the praying were instructed to recite the same prayer for the patients being prayed for, requesting: "a successful surgery and a quick, healthy recovery and no complications." Patients across the three groups had similar religious profiles. Most believed in spiritual healing and almost all believed friends or relatives would be praying for them. Researchers did not ask patients to have their friends and families withhold prayers, and assumed many patients prayed for themselves during the study. Study co-author Manoj Jain commented, "With so many individuals receiving prayer from friends and family, as well as personal prayer, it may be impossible to disentangle the effects of study prayer from background prayer." One of the biggest questions from this study is, "Why would some patients get worse when they know they will be prayed for?" This question goes beyond the problem of background prayer to the matter of formal methodologies used in this prayer study. When people feel pressured to give or receive healing energies differently than they would most prefer at a time when lives are at risk, it's no wonder they feel emotionally stressed. Scientific methods require that stringent methodologies are followed to ensure all study participants are following instructions, yet this rather rigid approach to healing can create resistance in both those doing the praying and those receiving the prayers. Prayer researchers are therefore well advised to listen closely to all participants of distant healing studies, since it seems clear there is a lot more going on than just a simple matter of designated prayers sending healing energy to fully receptive receivers. For example, if a prayer study does not factor in consideration for the beliefs (including religious beliefs) of those being prayed for and those doing the praying, interference can exist that can block healing even when recipients have verbally agreed to give and receive healing. A mechanical approach to constructing a prayer study may be considered ideal for scientific analysis, but it can leave much to be desired in terms of optimally addressing peoples' real needs. Future studies can pre-screen participants to be just those who feel good about the intercessory methods being used, listening deeply to the needs of everyone involved. When we listen deeply, we can discover peoples' true needs as well as areas of possible hidden resistance. We can go beyond what people might nod their heads and agree to, and get to their underlying thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and preferences. Such listening is essential for ensuring full participation, as it treats people as valued individuals whose individual needs truly matter.