WEBVTT - How Prayer Healing Works

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<v Speaker 1>Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve camera.

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<v Speaker 1>It's ready. Are you welcome to Stuff you Should Know?

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<v Speaker 1>From House Stuff works dot com. This podcast is brought

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<v Speaker 1>Try it free? Is it Go to my pc dot

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<v Speaker 1>com slash stuff. I'm welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh.

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<v Speaker 1>That's Chuck, Chuck Bryant, Josh Clark, not Brian. I'm Josh. Right.

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<v Speaker 1>We've got some listener mail claiming that Josh is Brian.

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<v Speaker 1>Not true. At least they got the spelling of your

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<v Speaker 1>last name almost correct without the tea they that. I

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<v Speaker 1>think they used the y generally. Brian. Yeah. Interesting. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>So it's not Chucking Brian, it's Chuck Brian and Josh

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<v Speaker 1>Clark Bryant. That's what I said. Sure, lighten up. That's

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<v Speaker 1>that's neither here nor there. No, it's not what it

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<v Speaker 1>is here and what is there is intercessory prayer. Wow,

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<v Speaker 1>it's like a bowl in a china shop. Let's go

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<v Speaker 1>you know. Yeah, yeah, so Chuck, I don't know how

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<v Speaker 1>you feel about this, but um, there there there have

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<v Speaker 1>been studies on prayer, right, and actually people who pray,

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<v Speaker 1>who who who um pray for themselves for others, but

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<v Speaker 1>who spent a significant amount of time praying you could

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<v Speaker 1>also call it meditating. Um, they actually lead healthier lives.

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<v Speaker 1>Did I read your article? Right? Well? Let me ask

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<v Speaker 1>you this because this is something that I was aware

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<v Speaker 1>of before I wrote this article. Um, and it was

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<v Speaker 1>really interesting to uh to to see how it's been studied.

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<v Speaker 1>But I was aware that people have been studying it,

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<v Speaker 1>but to find you know, what the methodologies were like

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<v Speaker 1>and what the results were. I mean, were you aware

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<v Speaker 1>that prayer healed? Is that something that you would have

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<v Speaker 1>accepted before you read this article? Or well? You know,

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<v Speaker 1>I grew up in the church, in the Christian Church,

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<v Speaker 1>and uh, anyone who's who's grown up in church or

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<v Speaker 1>has been to church like that knows that prayer is

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<v Speaker 1>very central. It's the personal conversation that you have with

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<v Speaker 1>with God. And uh so yeah, you're taught from early

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<v Speaker 1>on that prayer makes a big, big difference, right, and

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<v Speaker 1>and it actually does have a physiological difference or is

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<v Speaker 1>that taught as well or is this this a happy byproduct? No,

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<v Speaker 1>in my church it wasn't at least Um. They just

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<v Speaker 1>said to the type they take it results. I got you, okay. Well,

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<v Speaker 1>speaking of results, there have been studies that have have

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<v Speaker 1>evaluated people examine people who pray a lot, and they

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<v Speaker 1>tend to have lower blood pressure, they have they live longer, um,

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<v Speaker 1>their heart rate is generally uh a slower, right, they're

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<v Speaker 1>a little they're a little more laid back physiologically than

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<v Speaker 1>someone who doesn't pray. Um. And there's been some explanations

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<v Speaker 1>for it. Well, yeah, I know one that I think

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<v Speaker 1>makes a big difference is many people who are in

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<v Speaker 1>fact religious probably tend to lead healthier, cleaner lifestyles issue

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<v Speaker 1>things like alcohol and smoking and other things that can

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<v Speaker 1>avoiding prostitutes of the Yeah, so uh yeah, I think

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<v Speaker 1>that might have a lot to do it personally, It

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<v Speaker 1>definitely does. But we're not the only ones who thought

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<v Speaker 1>of that. Other people have as well and explained it

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<v Speaker 1>away with that. So there's been follow up studies that

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<v Speaker 1>took all those factors into account and they still found

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<v Speaker 1>that people who pray tend to be healthier. My My

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<v Speaker 1>theory is that you're meditating when you pray, you're you're meditating,

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<v Speaker 1>You're entering a transcendental state of meditative state, so you're

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<v Speaker 1>just more relaxed. And I think if you do that

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<v Speaker 1>enough times, your body learns to relax. Yeah, that makes sense,

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<v Speaker 1>That's what I think. Okay, So there's not a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of people who are I guess, debating whether or not

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<v Speaker 1>prayer has an effect on the person who's praying. What

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<v Speaker 1>is really contentious is whether or not praying can have

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<v Speaker 1>an effect on anyone else or anything else in the universe. Right,

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<v Speaker 1>And that's where we get into the real um sticky discussion.

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<v Speaker 1>Is ready, Yeah, I'm ready. I know. Growing up, as

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<v Speaker 1>I said, in the Christian faith, they would often, uh,

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<v Speaker 1>tell us if if a family member, a distant family

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<v Speaker 1>member of anyone in the church, we're sick, they would

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<v Speaker 1>call upon the church to pray for them. What do

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<v Speaker 1>they call this sticks? Prayer lists or prayer shoutouts require

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<v Speaker 1>shout I don't yeah, I don't remember, to be honest,

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<v Speaker 1>but they would prayer request for people to keep them

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<v Speaker 1>in their hearts and minds. Sure, yeah, and you could

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<v Speaker 1>actually call in and leave like a voicemail and then

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<v Speaker 1>you get added to the list. Right. No, No, I

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<v Speaker 1>don't know anything about that. I'm pretty sure I've seen

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<v Speaker 1>phone numbers like prayer hotlines. Okay, I kid you not, No,

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<v Speaker 1>I believe it. Okay, So you've got this congregation praying

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<v Speaker 1>for this person. Do you do you have any anecdotal evidence,

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<v Speaker 1>any story of somebody healing from that? Uh? No, I'm

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<v Speaker 1>sure that that probably happened here and there, but I

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<v Speaker 1>don't remember that stuff. Now. Well, that kind of prayer

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<v Speaker 1>is called intercessory prayer, interceding on behalf of somebody, maybe

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<v Speaker 1>asking for them to heal. Hopefully you're not praying for

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<v Speaker 1>them to die. That could still be considered intercessory prayer.

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<v Speaker 1>But for the most part, people pray that somebody's going

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<v Speaker 1>to rebound from an illness or get over a streak

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<v Speaker 1>of bad luck or something like that. It's also called

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<v Speaker 1>distant prayer because you know, you're it's not centered on

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<v Speaker 1>the individual or you're you're you're praying out for somebody. Um.

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<v Speaker 1>These have also been studied, you know. They There's been

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<v Speaker 1>some methodologies over the course of the last couple of decades,

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<v Speaker 1>starting with this guy named Randolph Bird, who's a physician,

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<v Speaker 1>and he he was the first to create this really

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<v Speaker 1>groundbreaking landmark study. It was eighty eight I think and um,

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<v Speaker 1>I think he was a cardiac physician. He uh he

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<v Speaker 1>assembled I think three hundred and fifty three different people's

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<v Speaker 1>um histories and he found people who were statistically inseparable,

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<v Speaker 1>meaning that they were the same age. Uh, they were

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<v Speaker 1>the same race, they were this, they had the same

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<v Speaker 1>heart conditions, they were on paper, they were one and

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<v Speaker 1>the same basically. Uh. And he contacted some groups. I

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<v Speaker 1>think it was in California where he got in touch

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<v Speaker 1>with some different denominations. I think they were all Christian,

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<v Speaker 1>but he got in touch with Baptists and Presbyterians and

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<v Speaker 1>Catholics and all that. And they had these groups get

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<v Speaker 1>together in groups of three or four and these people

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<v Speaker 1>would have the name of one patient yeah and UM.

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<v Speaker 1>They would pray that they they had a speedy and

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<v Speaker 1>um and I think effective recovery something along those lines.

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<v Speaker 1>And they prayed for him over the course of I

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<v Speaker 1>don't know, several weeks, I believe. UM. And after the

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<v Speaker 1>after this prayering of this praying was done, UM, the

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<v Speaker 1>the physician Randolph Bird went back and studied who, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>who thrived and who didn't, which should also say there's

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<v Speaker 1>a control group of people who weren't prayed for. Kay, yeah, yeah, right.

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<v Speaker 1>So he actually found that there was a really significant difference,

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<v Speaker 1>like a huge difference actually between the recoveries of people

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<v Speaker 1>who were prayed for and those who weren't prayed for. Um,

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<v Speaker 1>something like eight five percent compared to seventy three point

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<v Speaker 1>one percent. That's that's enormous statistically speaking, that's that's very big.

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<v Speaker 1>And the thing is is there was no one who

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<v Speaker 1>could explain away what happened um Bird's. Bird's study has

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<v Speaker 1>never been basically overturned. Um, the people who were praying

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<v Speaker 1>didn't know the people they were praying for. The people

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<v Speaker 1>who are being prayed for, we're you know, not they

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<v Speaker 1>There's there's nothing you can say that says, well, this

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<v Speaker 1>is what happened. Because that's a huge statistical difference. It

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<v Speaker 1>is that got the attention to the scientific community. So

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<v Speaker 1>all of a sudden, there's like a slew of of

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<v Speaker 1>basically follow up studies that use birds methodology. This is

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<v Speaker 1>the most beautiful thing about Randolph Bird, in my opinion.

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<v Speaker 1>He used the scientific method He used science to conduct

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<v Speaker 1>an investigation into something that science doesn't believe in, which

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<v Speaker 1>is prayer, intercessory prayer. And he created this study in

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<v Speaker 1>such a way that, um, it could be modeled like

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<v Speaker 1>he he said, here's how you do it. And other

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<v Speaker 1>people have followed the same model and they have come

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<v Speaker 1>up with with radically different results basically. Um. Another pretty

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<v Speaker 1>study was the STEPS study, which is the study for

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<v Speaker 1>Study of the Effects of Intercessory Prayer. Um, it was.

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<v Speaker 1>It was a huge study. It covered six different medical

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<v Speaker 1>centers across the US, and this is published in the

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<v Speaker 1>American Heart Journal. So yeah, so it was it was

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<v Speaker 1>pretty significant. Um. They they basically broke these groups down

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<v Speaker 1>into three groups. Uh, those who received prayer but weren't

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<v Speaker 1>aware of it, Uh, those who didn't receive any prayer,

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<v Speaker 1>and those who received prayer but and we're aware that

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<v Speaker 1>they were being prayed for us. Yeah. Yeah, So this

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<v Speaker 1>study it was, like you said, it was. It was

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<v Speaker 1>published in the American Heart Journal, which is pretty pretty

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<v Speaker 1>big journal as far as they go in in this country. Right. Um,

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<v Speaker 1>they found that those who, uh who didn't receive prayer

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<v Speaker 1>had about the same kind of recovery as those who

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<v Speaker 1>did it. Was like and even worse, those who were

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<v Speaker 1>aware that they received prayer actually had the worst results.

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<v Speaker 1>It was fifty of them had complications after heart surgery.

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<v Speaker 1>So this seems to fly in the face of the

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<v Speaker 1>Bird study. Yeah, it does. It's it's it's totally contradictory.

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<v Speaker 1>It's also pretty counterintuitive to I mean, how would prayer

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<v Speaker 1>be harmful? And that's actually one of the reasons why

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<v Speaker 1>people are investigating prayer, why scientists, why it's become kind

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<v Speaker 1>of a niche field of study, because it's not really

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<v Speaker 1>if if people are praying, uh, maybe we should find

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<v Speaker 1>out if it is in fact harmful. You. Science shouldn't

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<v Speaker 1>just be like, yeah, go pray, we don't believe in

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<v Speaker 1>that whatever. There should be investigations into it. And and

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<v Speaker 1>this is kind of startling. People who are aware they're

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<v Speaker 1>being prayed for had complications following surgery. That alone warrants

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<v Speaker 1>investigation into it. Right, So that that step study was

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<v Speaker 1>one of a number that have come up with. Nobody's

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<v Speaker 1>ever come up with the kind of statistical difference that

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<v Speaker 1>Randolph Bird did, Right. I think personally, Uh, I'm a

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<v Speaker 1>bit of a skeptic in life in general, and when

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<v Speaker 1>I hear about studies like this. It's to me, prayer

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<v Speaker 1>something that's hard to quantify statistically because people pray in

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<v Speaker 1>different ways, people pray for different lengths of time. Um,

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<v Speaker 1>it just I'm not sure how you could say that

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<v Speaker 1>this this solid group that prayed, all prayed exactly the

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<v Speaker 1>same in the same way and had the exact same beliefs. Uh,

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<v Speaker 1>it's hard to quantify. Yes, it is. And again Randolph

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<v Speaker 1>Bird came the closest to it. He told these people

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<v Speaker 1>how often to pray? You know, what to say when

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<v Speaker 1>they're praying, specifically to pray for Here's the problem with

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<v Speaker 1>with studying prayer is you can control these groups of

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<v Speaker 1>people who are praying for these heart patients or whatever

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<v Speaker 1>as much as you want. But if prayer is real,

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<v Speaker 1>if prayer does work right, and you've got somebody else

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<v Speaker 1>out there praying for this patient, it completely screws up

0:11:59.200 --> 0:12:01.840
<v Speaker 1>the results. Like the patient itself where they told not

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<v Speaker 1>to pray for themselves, I I don't know, I don't

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<v Speaker 1>I don't know. And and how how would you control that?

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<v Speaker 1>Would you want to control that? Apparently prayer is the

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<v Speaker 1>number one alternative medicine in America that tops vitamins and herbs,

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<v Speaker 1>which is like a multibillion dollar industry. If the best

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<v Speaker 1>part is prayers free of course, um, but you can't

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<v Speaker 1>control how much prayer. You can't say, here's ten ccs

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<v Speaker 1>of prayer, let's see if it has an effect. Um.

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<v Speaker 1>And you also can't you can't can't control other people

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<v Speaker 1>coming along behind you and saying I'm going to pray

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<v Speaker 1>for this person. So it's it's very difficult to study,

0:12:38.480 --> 0:12:42.000
<v Speaker 1>and not everybody thinks you should study it, right, And

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<v Speaker 1>this is then this is uh, these are people that

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<v Speaker 1>are being treated medically as well. This is not Christian

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<v Speaker 1>scientists who, from what I understand a lot of times

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<v Speaker 1>don't believe in medicine and they only believe in the

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<v Speaker 1>power of prayer to heal. Yeah, no, these were These

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<v Speaker 1>were people who are being treated through modern innocent and

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<v Speaker 1>we're being prayed for, right, So you kind of like,

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<v Speaker 1>I don't know, there's different doctors and different levels experience,

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<v Speaker 1>and so that's something you also have to take into

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<v Speaker 1>consideration as well. You can't say that everyone was getting

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<v Speaker 1>the exact same care and their whole life history and

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<v Speaker 1>whether or not these people typically recover quicker than others.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, there's there's a lot of factors that weigh

0:13:20.800 --> 0:13:22.520
<v Speaker 1>in here. There are, but you could also make the

0:13:22.600 --> 0:13:26.280
<v Speaker 1>argument that all those factors would would appear in any study,

0:13:27.400 --> 0:13:30.439
<v Speaker 1>you know, and prayers just like this extra layer um

0:13:30.720 --> 0:13:34.440
<v Speaker 1>SmackDown basically just smack me down. Yes, sorry chucking. I

0:13:34.520 --> 0:13:37.520
<v Speaker 1>tried to do it gently. Um. But like I said,

0:13:37.640 --> 0:13:40.000
<v Speaker 1>not everybody thinks that we should be studying this, right,

0:13:40.040 --> 0:13:42.480
<v Speaker 1>and that that falls on both sides. There's obviously um

0:13:42.559 --> 0:13:45.280
<v Speaker 1>scientists who are totally skeptical of prayer and think it's

0:13:45.280 --> 0:13:49.040
<v Speaker 1>a waste of time and funding. But there's also religious

0:13:49.800 --> 0:13:53.920
<v Speaker 1>religious devotes um who believe we shouldn't be studying this

0:13:54.040 --> 0:13:57.440
<v Speaker 1>kind of thing either that it's folly um, that you

0:13:57.480 --> 0:14:02.400
<v Speaker 1>couldn't possibly study something like and um. One guy put

0:14:02.400 --> 0:14:06.560
<v Speaker 1>it that studying heart conditions studying the power of prayer

0:14:07.280 --> 0:14:11.280
<v Speaker 1>um is basically like asking a composer with I think

0:14:11.280 --> 0:14:16.120
<v Speaker 1>a quadrillion times the talent of Beethoven to uh to

0:14:16.280 --> 0:14:19.840
<v Speaker 1>compose the notes to three blind mice. Like, we're we're

0:14:19.920 --> 0:14:23.560
<v Speaker 1>getting so granular here, We're missing the big picture, right.

0:14:23.600 --> 0:14:25.560
<v Speaker 1>I would love to hear that version of three blind

0:14:25.600 --> 0:14:29.280
<v Speaker 1>man be really, really good. So yeah, ultimately the jury

0:14:29.320 --> 0:14:32.760
<v Speaker 1>is still out, and I don't know personally whether I

0:14:32.960 --> 0:14:35.400
<v Speaker 1>wanted to ever come in. I think it'd be pretty cool.

0:14:35.440 --> 0:14:40.560
<v Speaker 1>And I definitely believe that there are aspects of us

0:14:40.600 --> 0:14:44.200
<v Speaker 1>as humans and among the universe that science either can

0:14:44.320 --> 0:14:47.400
<v Speaker 1>explain under the scientific method or just hasn't figured out

0:14:47.440 --> 0:14:50.840
<v Speaker 1>the right methodology to apply it. Definitely don't think science

0:14:50.880 --> 0:14:54.480
<v Speaker 1>explains all and anything science can explain doesn't exist, right

0:14:54.560 --> 0:14:57.920
<v Speaker 1>And since my uh growing up in the church now

0:14:58.160 --> 0:15:00.800
<v Speaker 1>here as an adult, my belief is I'm sort of

0:15:00.840 --> 0:15:02.440
<v Speaker 1>it to each his own kind of guy. Now, sure,

0:15:02.640 --> 0:15:04.040
<v Speaker 1>if you want to, if you want to pray and

0:15:04.080 --> 0:15:06.520
<v Speaker 1>you feel like it has an effect on you and

0:15:06.560 --> 0:15:08.920
<v Speaker 1>your family and your loved ones, I say go for it.

0:15:09.280 --> 0:15:11.920
<v Speaker 1>If you're skeptic and you don't think that it does,

0:15:12.000 --> 0:15:15.160
<v Speaker 1>then you know, don't. Yeah, And and trying to avoid

0:15:15.240 --> 0:15:18.800
<v Speaker 1>the harmful praying, you know, where you're you're actually praying

0:15:18.840 --> 0:15:22.080
<v Speaker 1>for somebody to you know, become injured. That's just me. Yeah,

0:15:22.120 --> 0:15:25.080
<v Speaker 1>And I don't think that come on, So different strokes

0:15:25.080 --> 0:15:28.680
<v Speaker 1>for different folkus then fantastic. Yet, like Gary Coleman, all right, well,

0:15:28.960 --> 0:15:31.400
<v Speaker 1>coming up, Chuck is going to tell you about an

0:15:31.520 --> 0:15:38.920
<v Speaker 1>article that um satisfies the childhood fantasy of his All right, Chuck,

0:15:39.000 --> 0:15:42.040
<v Speaker 1>what's the what's the article? Then that? Hold on? I

0:15:42.120 --> 0:15:46.080
<v Speaker 1>love this. That satisfies the childhood fantasy. Right, it sounds

0:15:46.120 --> 0:15:49.160
<v Speaker 1>so perfect. No, no, it's not at all. It's could

0:15:49.200 --> 0:15:53.160
<v Speaker 1>I install a hidden passageway in my home? Awesome? And uh,

0:15:53.200 --> 0:15:55.200
<v Speaker 1>I think, I don't know. Maybe it's a little boy thing.

0:15:55.280 --> 0:15:57.240
<v Speaker 1>But when I was a little kid, just like hidden

0:15:57.280 --> 0:16:00.040
<v Speaker 1>passageways and tunnels and all that stuff was just the

0:16:00.080 --> 0:16:02.280
<v Speaker 1>coolest thing to me. That's Edmunds, right, Edmunds about that,

0:16:02.400 --> 0:16:05.080
<v Speaker 1>Molly Edmunds a great, great writer. Molly, you know I

0:16:05.120 --> 0:16:06.920
<v Speaker 1>haven't a hidden passage bay in my house? Going now,

0:16:07.040 --> 0:16:10.240
<v Speaker 1>did you pull a book down from your library? It

0:16:10.320 --> 0:16:13.040
<v Speaker 1>was We had a linen closet and for some reason,

0:16:13.040 --> 0:16:15.800
<v Speaker 1>the interior of it was painted black and there was

0:16:15.840 --> 0:16:18.000
<v Speaker 1>a door at the back of the closet and it

0:16:18.160 --> 0:16:20.320
<v Speaker 1>opened up onto the steps going down to the basement,

0:16:20.320 --> 0:16:22.520
<v Speaker 1>which immediately got you onto the other side of the house.

0:16:22.720 --> 0:16:24.400
<v Speaker 1>Bring out the gimp, Hide and go seek in my

0:16:24.440 --> 0:16:27.240
<v Speaker 1>house was awesome. It was very cool. So you can

0:16:27.240 --> 0:16:29.440
<v Speaker 1>read that one could I install a hidden passage away

0:16:29.440 --> 0:16:31.920
<v Speaker 1>in my home? And about five million other super cool

0:16:32.040 --> 0:16:37.160
<v Speaker 1>articles on how stuff works dot com for more on

0:16:37.200 --> 0:16:39.680
<v Speaker 1>this and thousands of other topics. Was it how stuff

0:16:39.680 --> 0:16:42.960
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0:16:42.960 --> 0:16:48.239
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0:16:48.360 --> 0:16:50.960
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0:16:51.280 --> 0:16:52.440
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