Ask HN: Any double-blind studies been undertaken to prove prayer is effective?

&quot;<p>The largest study yet on the therapeutic power of prayer by strangers has found that it provided no benefit to the recovery of patients who had undergone cardiac bypass surgery.<p>In an unexpected twist, patients who knew prayers were being said for them had more complications after surgery than those who did not know, researchers reported Thursday.<p>&quot;<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.latimes.com&#x2F;archives&#x2F;la-xpm-2006-mar-31-sci-prayer31-story.html" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.latimes.com&#x2F;archives&#x2F;la-xpm-2006-mar-31-sci-pray...</a>

&quot;Study of the Therapeutic Effects of Intercessory Prayer (STEP) in cardiac bypass patients: a multicenter randomized trial of uncertainty and certainty of receiving intercessory prayer &quot; <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov&#x2F;16569567&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov&#x2F;16569567&#x2F;</a><p>&quot;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.&quot;