# Mysticism/Prayer

Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with a deity, an object of worship, or a spiritual entity through deliberate communication. Thus, people pray for many reasons such as personal benefit or for the sake of others. Most major religions involve prayer in one way or another. Some ritualize the act of prayer, requiring a strict sequence of actions or placing a restriction on who is permitted to pray, while others teach that prayer may be practiced spontaneously by anyone at any time.

## Scientific studies

Scientific studies regarding the use of prayer have mostly concentrated on its effect on the healing of sick or injured people. Meta-studies of the studies in this field have been performed showing evidence only for no effect or a potentially small effect. For instance, a 2006 meta analysis on 14 studies concluded that there is "no discernable effect" while a 2007 systemic review of intercessory prayer reported inconclusive results, noting that 7 of 17 studies had "small, but significant, effect sizes" but the review noted that the most methodologically rigorous studies failed to produce significant findings. The efficacy of petition in prayer for physical healing to a deity has been evaluated in numerous other studies, with contradictory results. (Wikipedia)
One scientific movement attempts to track the physical effects of prayer through neuroscience. Leaders in this movement include Andrew Newberg, an Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania. In Newberg's brain scans, monks, priests, nuns and gurus alike have exceptionally focused attention and compassion sites. This is a result of the frontal lobe of the brain’s engagement (Newberg, 2009). Newburg believes that anybody can connect to the supernatural with practice. Those without religious affiliations benefit from the connection to the metaphysical as well. Newberg's research provides the connection between prayer and meditation and health. By understanding how the brain works during religious experiences and practices Newberg's research shows that the brain changes during these practices allowing an understanding of how religion affects psychological and physical health (2009). For example, brain activity during meditation indicates that people who frequently practice prayer or meditation experience lower blood-pressure, lower heart rates, decreased anxiety, and decreased depression. (Wikipedia)

## Thought transfer

A prayer is a thought transfer to God or an enlightened master such as Jesus, Buddha or Krishna. An enlightened being takes on the thoughts and can react to them. It occurs through the sending of energy such as strength, love, peace, and tranquility or helpful thoughts. Only sometimes does that occur through physical manifestations such as miracles, healing, changes in the outer world. There are miracles which science cannot prove. That can be shown with the many healings in Lourdes. At the same time, it is also shown that only few healing miracles occur.
The effects of the prayer can be shown through spiritual energy. Spiritual exercises can awaken this energy. One can get this energy from the grace of God or from highly developed spiritual people. This energy can then be given on to others. That can be verified. One can ask other people if they’ve felt or experienced something, and one can feel it for him or herself when getting that energy from spiritual people.
Mainly, you experience the effects of spiritual energy through your feelings and your thoughts. You can have a connection with other people. You can feel the love of another person in the heart chakra. You can feel power in the second chakra. There are realities you experience along the spiritual way. You can see that you have abilities. You can prove it by asking people. Science has proven that it is possible to transfer thoughts. Energy transfer and thought transfer are closely related. Thought transfer is just one type of energy transfer.

## Discussion

(Quote from Jesus.de, Febr. 2013)
Plueschmors: People define and practice prayer in differing ways. For me, prayer is to commune with with God, my breath and my point to life. Martin Luther once said, “you can find a Christian without prayer just as seldom as you can find a living person without a pulse.”
Caro: I pray. It is something that I can’t imagine my life without. Could I ever become more healthy or successful without praying? I have no idea. I don’t pray for those reasons though, I pray out of love. It makes me happy, to pray out of love.
Nils: Sadly, research shows that it doesn’t help other people if you pray for them. However, this research is rather general. One should research spiritually developed people. Then you could find, for example, that Yoga teachers who have been at their careers for a long time can help heal people in their group. People use that in America already, in hospitals. How these healing effects occur is not explainable. I would attribute it to higher abilities. I observe that in my groups. In Yoga and Buddhism, there are people who pray and those who do not pray. It is a highly disputed question. I observe in myself that special abilities develop as I progress on my way. I can feel the energies of other people, partly read their thoughts, and I can sense their feelings from a distance and I think that I can also help to heal people. I have checked up on that by simply asking people.
Furthermore, one can say that God exists beyond the level of the material, and also in it, and can work through coincidence. This cannot be proven, but help comes to you anyways. I feel that my life is lead by God. I observe coincidences in my life that don’t seem like accidents anymore. But there is a thin line between wisdom and imagination. Certain is though, that enlightenment exists and prayer is a type of mantra that helps along the spiritual way. It calms the feelings, causes inner peace, and can bring about inner bliss. Everything else is a question of belief. I let the people in my group decide whether they want to pray or not.

## Healing Meditation

We sit or lie down. We relax.
1. Sun = We visualize above ourselves a beautiful sun, raising both hands to the side at head height and think several times the mantra "sun." We let the light of the sun flow down on us and massage it into the body.
2. Earth = We visualize the earth below us, rub the earth with our feet and think: "I send light to the earth. May all beings in the world be happy."
3. Healing Massage = We consider what part of our body needs healing in the moment. We let light flow into it, massage it in circles and think the word "light" as a mantra. By the light massage we resolve the tensions in the particular area of ​​the body and enable it in the self-healing. We can visualize the light in a color we feel that it heals us. We think the color name as a mantra. We can successively rub the light of healing in several parts of the body, thinking always the mantra "Light".
4. Cosmos = We visualize the cosmos around us full of stars, make big circles with our arms and think, "Om cosmos. I take the suffering in my life. I consistently walk my way of health and healing."
5. Master of Healing = We visualize before or above us the Master of Healing (God, Jesus, Mother Mary). We rub our hands in front of the heart chakra and think, "Dear God (Jesus, Mother Mary). Om inner wisdom. Please guide and help me on my way."
6. Question of Healing = We focus on a part of our body who needs healing or on a personal problem. What is the way of our healing? What do we have to do? What triggers our problem? We think so long until we are satisfied with the result. When we hear no answer, we are either blocked inside (we don't want to see the real causes of the problem), or we have a bad contact to our inner voice (we sense ourselves poorly). The best way then is slowly to get into thinking about our problem.
7. Sick people = We move a hand, bless all people with light and think, "May all the people who have the same problem as I be healed. My problem is ... The way of healing is ..."
8. Amen = We think inhaling and exhaling "Amen". We stop all other thoughts. We feel calmness, serenity and peace in us. We stop a minute every thought and move gently our feet. We focus on our feet and move on, until our mind comes completely to rest. Then we linger in a slight meditation. All thoughts and feelings may come and go as they please. We relax.

## The Lord´s Prayer

The image refers us to connect the Lord's Prayer (Christian main mantra) with visualizations and thereby strengthen the spiritual effect considerably. To have a powerful effect, we should speak or think the prayer how it fits us best. We should interpret the images so that they are helpful to us. We can formulate the sentences of the Lord's Prayer in our own words. This can help us to come better into contact with the energy of the prayer. The Pater Noster picture divides the Lord's Prayer in eight areas.
1.Our Father in heaven,
(We visualize God on our personal way above our crown chakra.)
2.hallowed be your name,
(We think sometimes the word "God", until we are in contact with the energy of God.)
3.your kingdom come,
(We visualize us in the kingdom of God. We see the positive in our world. )
4.your will be done, on earth as in heaven.
(We take all things in our lives as they are.)
5.Give us today our daily bread.
(We are grateful for everything good in our lives.)
6.Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
(What do you want to forgive your fellow man or God / your life today?)
7.Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.
(What false desires you want to let go of today?)
8.For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen.
(Feel the power and the light of your spiritual role model flowing into you and filling you. Think Amen as long until you are one with the power of Jesus or God. Move one hand and send the light with the mantra Amen to all beings on earth. So you will come fully into the light.)

## External links

* Prayer (Wikipedia)
* Efficacy of prayer (Wikipedia)
* Sanctuary_of_Our_Lady_of_Lourdes (Wikipedia)
* Ganzfeld_experiment (Wikipedia): John McCrone: Roll up for the Telepathy Test. In: New Scientist, Nr. 1873, 15. Mai 1993.) Remote viewing: a further important aspect of the Ganzfeld experiment from Charles Honorton in Edinburgh. In this experiment, people who were shielded from one another sketched what other people who were also blocked off saw for video clips or pictures. This was one of the most successful tests for parapsychology that took place in the past century.