A Podcast Episode Recommendation: Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations “Larry Dossey: The Extraordinary Healing Power of Ordinary Things”
Of course, it is not a stretch to recommend anything that has been vetted or produced by Oprah. I mean she’s OPRAH. In general, if I hear her name, my ears perk up. I listen a little more closely. However, truth be told, I was not a subscriber to her podcast “SuperSoul Conversations” prior to stumbling into this episode (https://omny.fm/shows/oprah-s-supersoul-conversations/larry-dossey-the-extraordinary-healing-power-of-or).
The synopsis for the episode drew me in, not necessarily Oprah’s name – A physician, deeply rooted in the scientific world explains how he became an influential advocate for spirituality in healthcare. “Wow,” I thought to myself, “Sign me up.” So, for the next 40 minutes, I listened intently to Dr. Dossey speak to his experiences and share moving stories with Oprah. From his personal experiences to studies, from the power of dirt to the power of Christmas Carols, I felt opened up to a renewed sense of hope, not just in prayer, but in our global connectedness. I have always believed there is value and comfort in prayer, but Dr. Dossey’s work added dimension and data to my perspective in powerful ways. I have shared this podcast with so many friends and family members, I felt compelled to share it with our Relishers Community.
If the simple idea of listening to a scientist talk about spirituality does not convince you to press play on this podcast, read more about the episode here–
Upon discovering that there was actual data available to support the power of prayer, Dr. Larry Dossey said–
“I knew for the first time that it would be possible to use the word prayer and science in the same sentence and hopefully get away with it… It came as a shock to most of (my colleagues).”
At the time of this broadcast in 2019, Dossey referenced having access to 20 studies looking at the efficacy of prayer in the process of getting well, with over half showing statistically significant data that prayer works. One of these studies was a triple-blind study conducted on infertility patients receiving treatments such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo transfer at a South Korea clinic. Half of the study participants were assigned to prayer groups in Canada, Australia, and the United States. The other half were not.
The women who received the prayer from these remote prayer groups had twice the success with their fertility treatments than the women who were not assigned to prayer from these distant individuals. The patients did not know they were being prayed for, nor did their medical caregivers. Dossey assesses that there is only one chance in one thousand that these results could be explained as chance or a fluke.
Similar studies have been conducted on other groups such as patients with advanced AIDS, heart attacks, and other illnesses, leading Dossey, many other physicians, and medical schools to further explore and promote the idea that, as humans, our consciousness can actually operate outside the brain and body. The data suggests our mind can influence the body with dedicated thought, love, and compassion, even from great distances through inner prayer (or whatever you choose to label the practice of intentional energy).
So, if you come to believe as Dossey does, that prayer legitimately influences physical outcomes, your next question might just be “Well, how do I do it right?”
In Oprah’s podcast, the two explore the factors that Dossey has observed as core to a successful practice. To avoid spoiler alerts, let’s just say formality and volume of those praying are not at the top of the list. Dossey actually says, “That's one of the great things about these studies. They point like an arrow to religious tolerance and openness. These studies show that no particular religion has a corner on the market of this ‘prayer stuff,’ and I'm happy about that. That's one of the great contributions that these studies have made, I think, to human welfare, this affirmation of tolerance and openness between faiths.”
Listen and be well.
Additional Resources: A sampling of books by Larry Dossey, M.D.:
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