John Travolta 'heals' pain with Scientology

Los Angeles - John Travolta believes he helped heal a car crash survivor through Scientology.

The Savages star - who is one of the controversial religion's most high-profile followers along with Tom Cruise and Kirstie Alley - reportedly claims he prevented a man from suffering severe pain after injuring his ankle in a car crash by using a Scientology procedure called "an assist".

According to gossip website Celebuzz, the 58-year-old actor told the new issue of the sect's Celebrity Magazine: "I was in Shanghai recently at a work event and the Master of Ceremonies' best friend had recently gotten into a car wreck. He had broken his ankle and was in constant pain. I asked him permission to do some Scientology assists and he said, 'Okay, sure'.

"People were standing around watching as I did them. You could actually see him confronting the pain and after a while he looked up at me and said, 'I feel better,' so I said 'Okay, end of assist.' He had gotten noticeably better and I was chomping at the bit for more."

A source at the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre in Los Angeles told E! News that the Golden Globe winner - who is married to Kelly Preston - wasn't claiming to have cured the man in the interview but believes that the particular religious procedure helps the body to naturally heal much quicker than it would otherwise.