In a talk I was listening to by Ajahn Amaro last night, he was talking about dedicating merit to others, alive or deceased, and he mentioned a study done at Harvard that showed prayer (I think he implied it could apply equally to metta meditation) was efficacious for sick people even when they are not aware of prayers being said on their behalf.

When I went googling for this I found the opposite: The Study of the Therapeutic Effects of Intercessory Prayer indicated there were no benefits to be had and the article mentioned earlier "flawed" studies.

Anyone heard of such a study showing benefits from prayer? I think it's unwise for Buddhist monks to quote scientific research in support of Buddhist practice unless the results have been repeated over a number of years.

I have only heard anecdotal accounts of prayer contributing to healing and I have seen the study you post, which may be the only one on the subject, that says prayer is not helpful to healing. Metta is a great way to heal ones self though.

In a talk I was listening to by Ajahn Amaro last night, he was talking about dedicating merit to others, alive or deceased, and he mentioned a study done at Harvard that showed prayer (I think he implied it could apply equally to metta meditation) was efficacious for sick people even when they are not aware of prayers being said on their behalf.

When I went googling for this I found the opposite: The Study of the Therapeutic Effects of Intercessory Prayer indicated there were no benefits to be had and the article mentioned earlier "flawed" studies.

Anyone heard of such a study showing benefits from prayer? I think it's unwise for Buddhist monks to quote scientific research in support of Buddhist practice unless the results have been repeated over a number of years.

I agree, unwise. Perhaps someone needs to relay a link for this latest study to Aj Amaro.

In a talk I was listening to by Ajahn Amaro last night, he was talking about dedicating merit to others, alive or deceased, and he mentioned a study done at Harvard that showed prayer (I think he implied it could apply equally to metta meditation) was efficacious for sick people even when they are not aware of prayers being said on their behalf.

When I went googling for this I found the opposite: The Study of the Therapeutic Effects of Intercessory Prayer indicated there were no benefits to be had and the article mentioned earlier "flawed" studies.

Anyone heard of such a study showing benefits from prayer? I think it's unwise for Buddhist monks to quote scientific research in support of Buddhist practice unless the results have been repeated over a number of years.

because this study claims the other studies were flawed doesnt make it true. perhaps the second study was flawed.

if we waited for absolute proof of atomic theory etc we would still be living in the pre industrial age. practice metta and there will be benefits. how many and for who no one can know for sure.

Transferring merit or saying metta suttha in my opinion is a good practice for yourself to improve metta. If it helps for the other one that's fine. If not, you have helped yourself already

As regards transferring merit to the deceased, I didn't realise that this only applied to a certain type of Peta called Paradattūpajīvino who live on the gifts of others. Apparently, these Petas are the ones who can share the merit performed by their living relatives in their names, and could thereby pass on to better states of happiness.

The one thing I know for sure about chanting is that the effects are proportional to the conviction with which one chants.

The experiment mentions that the prayers were offered by Christian groups who had no connection with the patients.

I only have anecdotal evidence but when prayers are offered by the relatives and loved ones of the patients, effects can be dramatic. There is nothing like seeing the one you love in a hospital bed to make you chant with every last ounce of conviction that your heat can muster.