Prayer may flow from the subconscious. It may even emerge in dreams, completely bypassing waking awareness. Prayer is probably the world's most widely practiced visualization technique. Those who pray often begin with a relaxation ritual such as attending a house of worship or kneeling by the bed. Then they conjure a personal image of a God or some Higher Power and ask that the requests in their prayers be granted.
Many people feel profoundly calm after praying.
Prayer is deeply relaxing, and those who do it regularly are, in effect, meditating. But science cannot explain some remarkable studies showing that to a degree that goes way beyond coincidence, prayer works. What distinguishes extrinsic belief is that it remains in the head and never makes it to the heart. This kind of inner belief is the key to real spiritual power.