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Updated: Feb 26, 2026

Modulation of the Neurophysiological Response to Fearful and Stressful Stimuli Through Repetitive Religious Chanting
Published on: November 4, 2021
Hospitalized Patients' Responses to Offers of Prayer
Kathy McMillan1, Elizabeth Johnston Taylor2
1Employee Spiritual Care and Wholeness, Loma Linda University Medical Center, LLUMC Room 6700H, 11234 Anderson Street, Loma Linda, CA, 92354, USA. kmcmillan@llu.edu.
Abstract:
Most Americans pray; many pray about their health. When they are hospitalized, however, do patients want an offer of prayer from a healthcare provider? This project allowed for the measurement of hospitalized patient's responses to massage therapists' offers of a colloquial prayer after a massage. After the intervention, 78 patients completed questionnaires that elicited quantitative data that were analyzed using uni- and bivariate statistical analyses. In this sample, 88% accepted the offer of prayer, 85% found it helpful, and 51% wanted prayer daily. Patients may welcome prayer, as long as the clinician shows "genuine kindness and respect."
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