What is required is a recognition by the giver that this process can occur and for the giver to practice the technique to establish pathways for energy flow from them to the recipient. Distant healing touch can also be beneficial to patients. Many double blind studies have shown that prayers directed at patients in human intensive care units reduce the complication rates of those patients and their ultimate length of stay in the intensive care unit. Distant healing touch and prayer seem to work through similar mechanisms, in their benefits to patients. On the other hand, belief in any specific religion is unnecessary to practice healing touch.
Any person can learn and practice healing touch.
In fact, most people perform healing touch without knowledge of doing so. Healing touch may be helpful to maintain normal health in dogs. It also will assist in speeding and maximizing recovery if disease occurs. It also helps develop the human-animal bond. The outcome of healing touch is non-judgmental.