You may scoff, you may doubt, you may be sceptical – but scientific research suggests it does! In 2000 a systematic review looked at 23 trials using different types of healing, including prayer, mental healing, therapeutic touch, and spiritual healing. Most of the trials involved people who had heart and skin conditions. There was one study of children with leukaemia. The review pulled together the published results of all these trials to draw its conclusions. It was difficult for the researchers to draw firm conclusions because the designs of the studies were so different. But over half of the studies showed that healing had a positive effect. These effects included lowering anxiety, pain and blood pressure and helping people to sleep better.