I’ve pulled the referenced research article and will read it, as I do many. While the Science Daily articles are good, they are just a quick summary.
Too many variables are left unconsidered in most research and the normal research trick is to create sample bias in specific attributes of the general population and then try to extrapolate it back over the entire population.
I was at Harvard years ago when Herb Benson presented his huge study using Carmelite Nuns to pray for cancer patients. The results after spending hundreds of thousands of dollars were INCONCLUSIVE.
I laughed at him and explained of course they would be...
In 100% of my tests with people with cancer I have identified a reversal of the emotional subconscious reward punishment system creating a self punishment through the immune system. Bottom line, most people with cancer are good people. Mean nasty pricks tend to not get cancer. There are many variables, but this one I have found 100% of the time without exception, in all types of cancer.
If you have a person with cancer due to this reversal, the prayer, or positive stimulus is viewed as a negative stimulus by the cancer patient. Thus in many the prayer would result in the reverse of the expected result.
I’m currently working on a research paper to present at a medical school in early 2019 on the neuroscience of prayer that explains this.
PS.. I have found this same attribute in MS and ALS.