Effect of the Spiritist "passe" energy therapy in reducing anxiety in volunteers: A randomized controlled trial

Background: In Brazil, one of the most used energy therapies is the Spiritist "passe", which is practiced by Spiritist healers. Although experimental studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of different energy therapies in reducing anxiety and pain, little is known about the effect of the Spiritist "passe" on health outcomes. Therefore, the present study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of "passe" energy therapy in reducing anxiety symptoms. Methods/design: In this prospective, randomized controlled trial, participants were randomly allocated into two groups: Intervention (8 weekly Spiritist "passe" sessions, n = 23), and Control (8 weekly sham Spiritist "passe" sessions, n=27). Anxiety was assessed using the Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-trait). Results: Of 97 individuals screened, 50 were included in the final analysis. Decreasing STAI-trait anxiety scores were observed in both groups throughout the study (p<0.0001). By the end of the study, 17% and 63% of intervention and control participants, respectively, still met the criterion for anxiety (p = 0.001). However, anxiety reduction was more accentuated in the Spiritist "passe" group (p=0.02). Conclusion: In this small pilot study, anxiety was more markedly reduced in participants receiving the Spiritist "passe" than in controls, warranting larger trials. Trial Registration: NCT02376959. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.