title: Research on Intercessory Prayer: Theoretical and Methodological Considerations.
abstract: Belief in the healing power of prayer is found in various religious traditions. Spiritually grounded clinical interventions, such as intercessory prayer (IP), need to be understood in a broader sense. This essay features the IP trials, observing the controversial relationship between inconsistent results and allegedly inadequate methods and theoretical hypothesis. A survey of the literature was conducted including publications indexed until September 2013, focusing on the trials developed in the field and on the critics about the methodological design. Recent meta-analyses and multicenter studies found inconclusive results in the investigation of IP. Clinical trials on IP present some methodological difficulties: The intervention is not fully controlled; the primary outcome is not properly defined; and the theoretical models seem inconsistent. The "non-local consciousness" model may be appropriate for studies of IP. Directions for future research: greater emphasis on the evaluation of the effectiveness of this intervention in animal models; selection of subjects and healers who have previous connection; considering the hypothesis of non-local consciousness in the study design.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Health Education, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS, 90640-001, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo Rogério Dalla Colletta
authors.initials: PRDC
authors.lastname: de Aguiar
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology - Laboratory of Experimental Fenomenology and Cognition, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tiago Pires
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Tatton-Ramos
authors.affiliation: Post-graduation Program of Psychology, PUCRS, Porto Alegre, Brazil. leticiaalminhana@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Letícia Oliveira
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Alminhana
mesh_terms: D029221:Faith Healing; D006801:Humans; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D012107:Research Design
keywords: Distant healing; Intercessory prayer; Randomized clinical trial