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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10836918 Is there veracity in this science?
If I had to venture a guess, I'd say that telling a sick person you'll pray for them and then not praying for them is probably better than praying for someone without their knowledge. There is a lot of evidence to suggest hope is a very effective medicine, and despair is poisonous.
You can ask almost any question in a scientific manner. However, I can't read the article. Statistical issues aside, I think 'non-contact therapeutic touch' could bring a placebo effect. I'd like to know how those measured up to the distant prayer. Pretty awful it had a negative effect on one group.