This study investigated differences in anxiety level of patients who received instruction prior to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compared to a control group that did not. Thus, 60 patients were randomly assigned to two groups. Patients in the study group received instructions designed by the researcher plus the routine hospital instructions, while the control group received the routine hospital instructions only. The State--Trait Anxiety Inventory was administered to both groups before and after MRI examination. Patients who received the designed instructions reported significantly lower levels of anxiety than the controls. The findings also indicated that 60% of the total sample used prayer to reduce anxiety. The study emphasizes the need for detailed information about the procedure and training in relaxation techniques.