Review: “distant healing” is often effective for improving patient outcomes

Data sources Studies were identified by searching Medline, PsycLIT, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, CISCOM, and the Cochrane Library from their inception to 1999 with terms related to spiritual healing, mental healing, faith healing, prayer, therapeutic touch, Reiki, distant healing, psychic healing, and external qigong and with the terms clinical trials, controlled clinical trials, and randomised controlled trials. Study selection Randomised controlled trials were selected if distant healing was compared with placebo, sham, or otherwise "patient blindable" or adequate control interventions; clinical rather than experimental investigations were done; humans with any medical conditions were studied; and publication was in peer reviewed journals.