Studies and Progress Notes (December 2006)

* *  SPIRITUAL AWARENESS AND WHOLISTIC HEALING * *  

Intercessory Prayer for patients with cardiac bypass surgery           

Abstract     
Background: Intercessory prayer is widely believed to influence recovery from illness, but claims of benefits are not supported by well-controlled clinical trials. Prior studies have not addressed whether prayer itself or knowledge/certainty that prayer is being provided may influence outcome. We evaluated whether (1) receiving intercessory prayer or (2) being certain of receiving intercessory prayer was associated with uncomplicated recovery after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.
Methods: Patients at 6 US hospitals were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: 604 received intercessory prayer after being informed that they may or may not receive prayer; 597 did not receive intercessory prayer also after being informed that they may or may not receive prayer; and 601 received intercessory prayer after being informed they would receive prayer. Intercessory prayer was provided for 14 days, starting the night before CABG. The primary outcome was presence of any complication within 30 days of CABG. Secondary outcomes were any major event and mortality.
Results: In the 2 groups uncertain about receiving intercessory prayer, complications occurred in 52% (315/604) of patients who received intercessory prayer versus 51% (304/597) of those who did not (relative risk 1.02, 95% CI 0.92-1.15). Complications occurred in 59% (352/601) of patients certain of receiving intercessory prayer compared with the 52% (315/604) of those uncertain of receiving intercessory prayer (relative risk 1.14, 95% CI 1.02-1.28). Major events and 30-day mortality were similar across the 3 groups.
Conclusions: Intercessory prayer itself had no effect on complication-free recovery from CABG, but certainty of receiving intercessory prayer was associated with a higher incidence of complications.

IJHC – WHR Observations

This was a major study, with large numbers of subjects at multiple centers. If numbers alone provide certainty of accurate assessment of a treatment effect, this study suggests that healing not only is not helpful, but that knowing you will receive healing may be detrimental.
    I have to admit I have no definite clues to explain these results. Possible causes for lack of healing responses could include: quality and experience levels of healers in study; quality and experience levels of healers outside the study who prayed for the control group; specifics of instructions that were given to the healers in this study, such as the following: “The intercessors agreed to add the phrase ‘for a successful surgery with a quick, healthy recovery and no complications’ to their usual prayers;” specifics of explanations and instructions that were given to the subjects of the study; other contributors to experimenter effects.
    Conversely, one may well ask why the Byrd and Harris studies of prayer healing for cardiac patients had positive effects. These studies focused on people who were in cardiac intensive care units for cardiac related problems, while the Benson et al study (and the Krucoff et al study, which also showed null effects of healing) focused on people coming for cardiac bypass surgery.
    In parapsychology (and many other areas of scientific research) one often finds that the first several studies on a subject show positive effects, while the subsequent studies show diminishing effects. It is suspected that this may relate to the enthusiasm of the researchers and personal investment in initial studies, where there may be less enthusiasm in researchers who are replicating someone else’s work.
    A further possibility could be experimenter effects. It is well known that the beliefs of the experimenters can strongly influence the outcomes of studies, even when these are not explicitly revealed to other participants in the studies. Byrd is a firm believer in the effects of prayer healing. To my knowledge, Benson and Krucoff are less firm in their beliefs about the efficacy of healing.

 * *  FUTURE RESEARCH IN WHOLISTIC HEALING * * 

The IJHC/WHR E-Zine features monthly suggestions for future research in healing.

READERS ARE INVITED TO SUBMIT SUGGESTIONS FOR TOPICS TO STUDY
If your topic is chosen, you ill receive free access to the IJHC for a month, including the current issue and all back issues.

Experimenter effects in healing

The most impressive study of experimenter effects in healing is that of Gerald Solfvin, who showed that when lab workers were led to believe they were injecting two groups of mice with two different doses of malaria, and that half of the mice in each group would be sent distant healing, then both dose and healing effects were manifested in the study. In fact, however, there were no differences in the doses of malaria given to the two groups of mice, and no healers were involved in the study.
Source: Gerald Solfvin, Psi expectancy effects in psychic healing studies with malarial mice, European Journal of Parapsychology, 1982, 4(2), 160-197. (Summarized in Healing Research, Volume 1)
    This study cries out for replication! If it can be replicated, it would suggest that experiments are subject to what is called a ‘Super-ESP’ effect, meaning that the experimenters can use their intuitive abilities to identify the contingencies involved in an experiment and influence the outcomes of the study through their psychic abilities. This would mean that every double-blind study is subject to the effects of intentionality of the participants.

* *  WHOLISTIC APPROACHES * * 

Increased socializing is a stress response in women

Abstract
“The human stress response has been characterized, both physiologically and behaviorally, as ‘fight-or-flight.’ Although fight-or-flight may characterize the primary physiological responses to stress for both males and females, we propose that, behaviorally, females' responses are more marked by a pattern of ‘tend-and-befriend.’ Tending involves nurturant activities designed to protect the self and offspring that promote safety and reduce distress; befriending is the creation and maintenance of social networks that may aid in this process. The biobehavioral mechanism that underlies the tend-and-befriend pattern appears to draw on the attachment-caregiving system, and neuroendocrine evidence from animal and human studies suggests that oxytocin, in conjunction with female reproductive hormones and endogenous opioid peptide mechanisms, may be at its core. This previously unexplored stress regulatory system has manifold implications for the study of stress.”

Source: Taylor SE, Klein LC, Lewis BP, Gruenewald TL, Gurung RA, Updegraff JA. Biobehavioral responses to stress in females: tend-and-befriend, not fight-or-flight, Psychological Review 2000 Jul;107(3):411-29.

IJHC – WHR Observations
 
The Aquarian age has been heralded as a time when feminine values and approaches to life will be expressed more strongly and pervasively in human societies. This is an excellent example of how masculine dominance in academic forums has promulgated beliefs that reflect masculine ways of dealing with issues – which may not be the best solutions. The typical masculine response to stress is to either fight or flee. This study demonstrates a much more constructive solution.

Such solutions are being explored increasingly in conflict situations – especially through mediation and reconciliation approaches in criminal courts and international conflicts

 * *  COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES * * 

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is helped by hypnotherapy

People who have chronic abdominal pain and altered bowel habits without discernable organic causes are diagnosed with ‘Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).’ The author conducted a systematic review of the research literature between 1970 and 2005, finding 22 studies, of which 15 ere considered rigorous enough for inclusion in his analysis, although none of the reports were  double-blinded controlled studies. “The results of the reviewed studies showed improved status of all major symptoms of IBS, extracolonic symptoms, quality of life, anxiety, and depression. Furthermore these improvements lasted 2.5 years.” All studies demonstrated improvements with hypnotherapy.

Source: Gholamrezaei, Ali. Where does hypnotherapy stand in the management of irritable bowel syndrome? a systematic review, Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 2006, 12(6), 517 –527. Clinical Hypnotherapy Research Group, Medical Student Research Committee, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Isfahan, Iran.

IJHC – WHR Observations

In a Western world that focuses so heavily on medications to solve medical problems, it is good to have confirmation of a wholistic intervention that carries next to no risk and is highly effective for a chronic problem that has resisted other therapies

Fish oils lower cholesterol in obese, diabetic men
Fish oils favorably influence ‘good’ cholesterol, increasing blood levels while not affecting insulin metabolism.

Source: Dick C Chan, et al. Factorial study of the effect of n–3 fatty acid supplementation and atorvastatin on the kinetics of HDL apolipoproteins A-I and A-II in men with abdominal obesity, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2006, 84(1), 37-43. Metabolic Research Centre, School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia

IJHC – WHR Observations

Fish oil is widely recommended for a variety of problems. A growing body of research is confirming this recommendation.

More CAM reviews at
www.naturalhealthvillage.com
www.mdlinx.com/FamilyMDLinx 
 www.ucalgary.ca/~camig/litsearch.html
AMSA website
www.amsa.org/humed/camresources/camnews.cfm

* *  ENVIRONMENT (HEALING OUR PLANET) * *

Tracking epic bird migrations

The sooty shearwater, a puffin, migrates 40,000 miles in a year, with flying time of 200 days from summers in New Zealand to (southern hemisphere) winters in California, Alaska or Japan and back to New Zealand.

“Between January and March 2005, 33 birds at two breeding colonies in New Zealand were fitted with tags weighing 6g, allowing researchers to track their journey…

“In the autumn of that year, 20 of the tags were recovered when the birds returned to their burrows at the breeding grounds; 19 of the devices had successfully recorded the bird's movements.

Data showed that some birds travelled up to 910km (565 miles) in a day, and dived to depths of 68m in their search for food.”

The birds spent a longer period of time at one of the three wintering locations, although they traveled in a large figure ‘8’ to all locations, apparently taking advantage of global wind patterns.

Birds that migrate such distances can be devastated if environmental conditions change so that they arrive after a long flight and find their food supply has been decimated by environmental changes. This is happening in California, due to ocean warming.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5242360.stm 
 
IJHC – WHR Observations

Our planet is a wonder-full place. We would do well to think of ways to preserve it – not just for other species, but for the endangered species called humans. We are endangered by over-population relative to our resources and how we are squandering them and polluting the environment.

See also below - Ecologically friendly, inexpensive wedding dresses – made out of toilet paper – under ‘HEALING THROUGH THE CREATIVE ARTS’

 
* * TECHNOLOGY * *

High tech, inexpensive water filter for personal use

“Vestergaard Frandsen, a Danish textile company that supplies water filters to the Carter Center guinea worm eradication program and mosquito-killing plastic tarps to refugee camps, has come up with a new invention meant ot render dangerous water drinkable.

“The invention is called Lifestraw, a plastic tube with seven filters: graduated meshes with holes as fine as 6 microns (a human hair is 50 to 100 microns), followed by resin impregnated with iodine and another of activated carbon. It can be worn around the neck and last a year.”

Lifestraw can filter 99.99 percent of many bacteria and parasites that cause diarrhea. It cannot protect against viruses or giardia.
Source: New York Times Oct. 10, p. D1

IJHC – WHR Observations

This is an outstanding contribution to improving health in places where water quality cannot be assured.

 * *  HUMAN ECOLOGY* * 

Very modest progress at climate talks in Monterrey, Mexico
Climate talks including the world's top 20 polluters demonstrated increasing acknowledgment of the global climate warming problem, agreement on an urgent need to address greenhouse gas emissions, but little general promise of actions. Delegates acknowledged a “massive gap between the politics and science of climate change.”
    There is an acknowledged need for setting strong governmental target limits on greenhouse gases, and a growing awareness that there will be economic savings in prevention rather than remediation of damages from climate changes.
  Business interests continue to outweigh global environmental concerns. The US continues to obstruct progress. The Russians are hoping to benefit from a warmer world and did not attend.   The Chinese detailed ambitious plans for investment in energy efficiency. India was represented by its environment minister, but their energy minister (who is much more influential in regulating India's emissions) was absent.

IJHC – WHR Observations
    It is absolutely essential for the survival of our planet that we address climate change immediately and vigorously. For instance, there are speculations that just a few years of drought in the Amazon, caused by global warming, could turn the jungles into deserts. This would vastly accelerate the global warming process.
    The lobbying of private businesses and industries to protect their selfish interests is so firmly entrenched in our social and political fabric of habits and consciousness that it will not change without major pressures from the electorate. This means you and me and everyone else we can mobilize to heal our social ills.
    The experiences of European countries like Germany and Sweden in shifting governmental policies on environmental issues can be models to other countries.
    Make global warming an issue in every election!
    See interesting article featuring observations of Andrew Harvey in “Empowered by the Sacred” by Louise Danielle Palmer, Spirituality & Health September 2006.