By William M. London
As I previously described, on December 22nd, NBC Nightly News wielded the power of pandering in senior legal and investigative correspondent Cynthia McFadden’s misleading report: “Power of Prayer? 'Miracle' Priest Rises from Wheelchair and Walks.” The report’s only redeeming features were the snippets of healthy skepticism provided by Richard P. Sloan, PhD. Dr. Sloan is Nathaniel Wharton Professor of Behavioral Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center, chief of the Division of Behavioral Medicine at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, and the author of Blind Faith The Unholy Alliance of Religion and Medicine.
On December 23rd, McFadden followed up with a two minute nineteen second report, “Power of Prayer: What Happens to Your Brain When You Pray?,” available for viewing online accompanied by an article by producer Jake Whitman. In introducing the report, anchorman Brian Williams said:
As I previously described, on December 22nd, NBC Nightly News wielded the power of pandering in senior legal and investigative correspondent Cynthia McFadden’s misleading report: “Power of Prayer? 'Miracle' Priest Rises from Wheelchair and Walks.” The report’s only redeeming features were the snippets of healthy skepticism provided by Richard P. Sloan, PhD. Dr. Sloan is Nathaniel Wharton Professor of Behavioral Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center, chief of the Division of Behavioral Medicine at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, and the author of Blind Faith The Unholy Alliance of Religion and Medicine.
On December 23rd, McFadden followed up with a two minute nineteen second report, “Power of Prayer: What Happens to Your Brain When You Pray?,” available for viewing online accompanied by an article by producer Jake Whitman. In introducing the report, anchorman Brian Williams said:
…there’s been a lot of interest expressed in the report we aired here last night about the growing medical evidence behind the power of prayer, inspiring to so many especially given this time of year. But tonight the skeptics get their say in the conclusion of our two-part series on this topic….
Considering the emphasis given to miracle mongering in the first part of the series, it isn’t surprising that a lot of interest in the report was expressed. Williams’s introduction is misleading because the report was not about growing medical evidence of any kind of healing power of prayer. Instead it presented an unpersuasive testimonial and a cherry-picked finding regarding blood pressure from a "less than compelling" 1998 study. But at least Williams appears to be admitting that skepticism received short shrift the previous night.
Overall, the follow-up did include significant healthy skepticism as we should expect from an investigative correspondent. But it had also had significant flaws. It started off inauspiciously with McFadden’s voiceover:
Overall, the follow-up did include significant healthy skepticism as we should expect from an investigative correspondent. But it had also had significant flaws. It started off inauspiciously with McFadden’s voiceover:
Does prayer heal? Dr. Andrew Newberg says he’s got proof it does. Witness the brain on prayer.
No Cynthia, Dr. Newberg didn’t say he’s got proof (as if scientific investigation ever ‘proves’ anything) or even conclusive evidence. Whitman’s article quoted Dr. Newberg:
There's evidence to show that by doing these practices [apparently praying or meditating], you can cause a lot of different changes all the way throughout the body, which could have a healing effect.
Could have a healing effect? Well that also means that the bodily changes he finds in people who pray could have no meaningful healing effect. “Could have” signifies speculation, not proof.
Dr. Newberg, a neuroimaging expert, provided NBC with colorful images showing changes in brain activity when people pray. The seductive display of such images to viewers lacking neuroscience expertise has often been characterized as brain pornography. Yes, it may be interesting and even satisfying to view, but how meaningful is it, really? Clearly, it doesn’t represent the proof of prayer-induced healing that McFadden alluded to at the beginning of her report.
McFadden asked Dr. Newberg: “So would you go so far as to say ‘prayer can heal’”?
“Oh absolutely, absolutely it can heal,” replied Dr. Newberg. “There are changes in different neurotransmitters—the chemicals in our brain that helps release things like serotonin and dopamine in the brain, some of which can help to repress pain.”
But changes in neurotransmitter release do not mean there is evidence that praying has clinically meaningful advantages in pain control compared to any other human activity? Dr. Newberg offered his opinion about healing, not proof.
According to andrewnewberg.com, Andrew B. Newberg, M.D. is a professor and director of research at Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine of Thomas Jefferson University and Hospital in Philadelphia, PA. He has authored or coauthored well over 130 research papers, but he’s probably better known for his numerous media appearances and spiritual speculations about SPECT (single-photon emission computerized tomography) images of the brain and other neuroscience findings in the seven books he has authored or coauthored. His book from 2009 with the provocative title How God Changes Your Brain: Breakthrough Findings from a Leading Neuroscientist was shown onscreen as part of McFadden’s report.
Breakthrough findings? Or metaphysical speculations?
Dr. Sloan was not impressed with findings of brain activity changes accompanying prayer. He said:
Dr. Newberg, a neuroimaging expert, provided NBC with colorful images showing changes in brain activity when people pray. The seductive display of such images to viewers lacking neuroscience expertise has often been characterized as brain pornography. Yes, it may be interesting and even satisfying to view, but how meaningful is it, really? Clearly, it doesn’t represent the proof of prayer-induced healing that McFadden alluded to at the beginning of her report.
McFadden asked Dr. Newberg: “So would you go so far as to say ‘prayer can heal’”?
“Oh absolutely, absolutely it can heal,” replied Dr. Newberg. “There are changes in different neurotransmitters—the chemicals in our brain that helps release things like serotonin and dopamine in the brain, some of which can help to repress pain.”
But changes in neurotransmitter release do not mean there is evidence that praying has clinically meaningful advantages in pain control compared to any other human activity? Dr. Newberg offered his opinion about healing, not proof.
According to andrewnewberg.com, Andrew B. Newberg, M.D. is a professor and director of research at Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine of Thomas Jefferson University and Hospital in Philadelphia, PA. He has authored or coauthored well over 130 research papers, but he’s probably better known for his numerous media appearances and spiritual speculations about SPECT (single-photon emission computerized tomography) images of the brain and other neuroscience findings in the seven books he has authored or coauthored. His book from 2009 with the provocative title How God Changes Your Brain: Breakthrough Findings from a Leading Neuroscientist was shown onscreen as part of McFadden’s report.
Breakthrough findings? Or metaphysical speculations?
Dr. Sloan was not impressed with findings of brain activity changes accompanying prayer. He said:
The brain changes when you eat chocolate. The brain changes when anything happens. Your brain is changing right now as you listen to me and my brain is changing as you ask me questions. There's nothing special about showing brain changes when people pray.
There’s no doubt in anybody’s mind that religious practices bring comfort to a great many people. But they shouldn’t practice religion because it’s like some sort of a cosmic vending machine in which you deposit a coin and get a health benefit. They should practice religion because it resonates with them.
And Dr. Newberg also lowered expectations for the healing power of prayer. He said, sensibly:
As far as we know, it is not a cure for cancer. It is not going to cure somebody of heart disease. We can't tell people to pray in order to get better — that doesn't really make sense.
Unfortunately, he added:
The reason that it works is because it is part of the person's belief system.
But, Dr. Newberg, before you try to explain why something works, you need to first show that it works. You haven't done that.
In summary, the second “Power of Prayer” report was an improvement over the first. Although it misleadingly presented brain porn as proof of healing from prayer, it did not include the shameful miracle mongering of the previous night and it cautioned against all-too-common unrealistic expectations for prayer.
Brain porn satisfies the need of television news producers to present viewers with compelling images. But for investigative journalism, it’s no substitute for healthy skepticism.
In summary, the second “Power of Prayer” report was an improvement over the first. Although it misleadingly presented brain porn as proof of healing from prayer, it did not include the shameful miracle mongering of the previous night and it cautioned against all-too-common unrealistic expectations for prayer.
Brain porn satisfies the need of television news producers to present viewers with compelling images. But for investigative journalism, it’s no substitute for healthy skepticism.
William M. London is a professor of public health at California State University, Los Angeles, a co-author of the college textbook Consumer Health: A Guide to Intelligent Decisions, Ninth Edition (2013), associate editor of the free, weekly e-newsletter Consumer Health Digest, a North American editor of the journal Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies, and an anti-quackery activist since 1987 when he cofounded and served as president of the Ohio Council Against Health Fraud. On Twitter he is @healthgadfly.
