# Prayer Experiment



## RubyTuesday (Aug 3, 2007)

*"Wherever two or more are gathered in my name, there I am."*

I've read previously about how combined prayer or lots of individuals thinking of the same thing or the same positive thoughts, then actually creating change. ...and I guess, that it would or could make sense.
I think that the term is 'mass consciousness' or something.

In any case, I figured -Why not try an experiment....?

Each week a poster could be chosen and whoever reads this and remembers can remember to pray for them (during the day or before they go to sleep).

Then I suppose we could see if, after that week, that that particular person felt better and whether things improved for them a bit.

...So, how about it? -why not???
...Let's test the theory -the belief that Jesus and others as well, say is true that "Wherever two or more are gathered in my name, there I am."

...could it possibly hurt to try?

Who wants to be first? Tonight I'm already praying for someone in particular.


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## Gerard (Feb 3, 2004)

Sure, why not. I already pray for you, Elisa, to let you know. 

This also is good for healing too:

Buddhist practice of tonglen:
http://www.shambhala.org/teachers/pema/tonglen1.php

Gerard


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## RubyTuesday (Aug 3, 2007)

Thanks for that. 

I guess not that many people are interested. -I have to confess that I almost forgot about this post/idea my self. 

Maybe others will eventually see this and then we can try the experiment. Otherwise, yeah, I guess general prayers are good in the meantime anyway.


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## tomcoldaba (Jul 1, 2007)

I went to church everyday for mass. I'm catholic and was unemployed. I prayed that I can overcome this horrible illness. But God helps those who help themselves. I got the strength to try the exposure therapy on the recommendation of an usher at my church. He is active in toastmasters. I saw his picture on a toastmaster website. I asked him in church if his club is any good. He said he belongs to 4 clubs. So I joined 3 toastmaster clubs in October. Today, my performance anxiety is very low. I don't go to church every day as I am working. I do go to church on saturday and sunday.

The point I am making is that one must have faith irrespective of religion.


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## yeah_yeah_yeah (Mar 27, 2007)

I have been praying for various folks that I know in life, and I have prayed for the board as a whole. My prayers seem to get answered in my own life. 

Heh. Mr Logic gets spiritual. 

Ross


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## tomcoldaba (Jul 1, 2007)

yeah_yeah_yeah said:


> I have been praying for various folks that I know in life, and I have prayed for the board as a whole. My prayers seem to get answered in my own life.
> 
> Heh. Mr Logic gets spiritual.
> 
> Ross


Oh! I forgot. I prayed hard that Ross would return to this board. I missed his insight into life. Viola! Ross is posting again. Prayers do work. See Ross is back. :lol


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## yeah_yeah_yeah (Mar 27, 2007)

Wow seriously? 

Heh that is cool on so many levels!


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## yeah_yeah_yeah (Mar 27, 2007)

Hey Wooby Toozy

I'm up for doing this! Maybe we can even get a couple of us. Like I could say pray for someone at 13:00 GMT, and then say Tom prays at whatever is his equivalent time. So then thats two of us!

I know who I would like to pray for, so Tom or Ruby, if you are keen to do this PM me and I will tell you who I have in mind? We might even get 3 of us together 

Ross


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

Prayer aggravated my OCD too much so I had to stop.


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## RubyTuesday (Aug 3, 2007)

Noca said:


> Prayer aggravated my OCD too much so I had to stop.


That's interesting.

I wonder, briefly, whether it is because in your prayers you asked for something or supplicated. I've read that God doesn't grant prayers that are about begging or pleading. Like how Jesus instructed people to believe that they have what they ask for. And Jesus was described as having enormous faith whereby the thought never entered his mind that what he asked for wouldn't be done.

...In other words, prayers are just old fashioned 'Affirmations'. And like with affirmations, you'd need to believe in them mostly already, otherwise they could become like statements of what you don't have and/or 'should' statements that affirm lack or insecurity.

These are the same reasons that I gave up on CBT. ...Christianity reminds me of CBT. It only works if you already have a degree of belief/faith. (I notice that Jesus even stated that He spoke in parables so that only 'those who have eyes let them see' - which I gather means those already somewhat enlightened. He also said that He spoke in parables, disguising His words, because "A person who has something will be given more, but a person with nothing, even the little he has will be taken away from him"
...my guess is that this is why techniques like CBT or anything that tries to manipulate one's belief or one's feelings, can actually aggravate the original problem.
Some psychiatrists have the opinion that CBT does aggravate anxiety for some patients.

Do you have any thoughts about this? I read somewhere that you had an interest in psychology...


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