The Great Prayer Experiment

The Great Prayer Experiment was a scientific study conducted at Duke University to evaluate whether prayer by others could influence health outcomes. Researchers assigned critically ill patients to three groups: one received intercessory prayer (prayers from strangers), another received prayer plus reassurance they were being prayed for, and a control group received no prayer. The purpose was to see if prayer improved recovery rates. Results showed no significant difference among the groups, suggesting that intercessory prayer, as tested, did not have a measurable impact on patient outcomes within the study's parameters.