An infirm, lifetime alcoholic suddenly becomes sober and strong. A patient undergoing open-heart surgery amazes doctors with a speedy convalescence. A cancer patient given only a few months to live defies the predictions. What accounts for such remarkable recoveries? Is it miracle or medicine? In this extraordinary book, Dr. Harold G. Koenig, Director of Duke University's Center for the Study of Religion/Spirituality and Health, presents groundbreaking scientific evidence -- the fruits of fifteen years of dedicated investigation -- that provides answers to these puzzling medical mysteries. In a fascinating marriage of science and spirituality, Dr. Koenig's team of highly trained medical researchers track the influence of religious beliefs and lifestyle on physical and mental health with astonishing results. Through cutting-edge studies involving thousands of patients of both sexes from all over the country, Dr. Koenig shows how strong belief itself may affect immune system responses, lower blood pressure, and extend survival. You will read about the pioneering study that found nonobservant patients with heart disease to be three times more likely to die following surgery than their religious counterparts, and another showing that church-going elderly have nearly half the stroke rate of their less religiously active peers. You'll learn why saying prayers regularly can be as effective as taking medicine, and why prayer and medicine together are such a potent combination. Here you will meet the unforgettable patients who taught their doctors so much -- from born-again Christians to Orthodox Jews, from Baptists to traditional Catholics -- as they triumph over life-threatening disease, heartbreaking marital problems, dangerous addiction, and more. With simple, practical methods for harnessing the power of faith, this potentially lifesaving book provides an astonishing and immensely effective strategy for healing.