Faith Meets Science
Is it Love?
The Healing Power of Faith Put to the Test
Faith Meets Science
It is a pleasure to read about the growing numbers of respectable scientific research about the benefits of faith and prayer on healing. This research and the anectdotal stories help to make holistic health more and more popular. We know it works AND now science is catching up!
In Your Store on this website are many books, DVDs and books on tape (CD) about spirituality, prayer and healing. Larry Dossey, MD and Harold Koenig, MD are two medical doctors who praise the healing benefits of spirituality and prayer. Dr. Dossey discusses the benefits of prayer and spirituality-with or without the particular religious beliefs.
Dr. Koenig is a medical doctor who is a specialist in geriatric medicine and in psychiatry. This was of interest to me since I am a family nurse practitioner working in geriatrics. In his book, The Healing Power of Faith, he discusses many wonderful aspects of religion, spirituality and prayer along with the supporting research. He has been involved in much of the research. Here is a brief summary. I encourage you to take a look at his books if this interests you.
Faith Meets Science
Does Prayer Work?
Does God answer prayer? Arizona State University's research says 'yes.' David R. Hodge, an assistant professor of social work at ASU conducted a comprehensive analysis of 17 major studies on the effects of intercessory prayer. Intercessory prayer is prayer that is offered for the benefit of another person. In the past, some studies showed some positive effects for prayer, while others did not. So, he took a look at all of them-a meta analysis that takes into account all of the research on intercessory prayer for people with psychological or medical problems. Was prayer effective enough to meet the standards of the American Psychological Association's Division 12 for validated interventions? In other words, is prayer effective enough to be the primary treatment prescribed for a patient with depression? The answer to this is 'no.' The real question to ponder, though, is: If we know that prayer is healing, are health care professionals negligent if they don't pray for a patient?
Faith Meets Science
Faith and Life Satisfaction
I spend most of my day with elderly people and those who care for them. I can't help but notice how some are joyful no matter what is going on around them-this is true for the staff, families and patients. These happy, optimistic people generally have a strong faith in God and usually would describe themselves as religious. They may not attend regular services, but they have their own rituals, believe in prayer and practice their faith to the best of their abilities. They have a certainty that God has been their guide throughout their life and is still with them. This brings about feelings of joy, calm, security and satisfaction.
There are many benefits to having a calm demeanor and having peace. A peaceful person is also stress resistant. I've devoted a whole page to stress and health
There is another physician named Herbert Benson who has authored books and research. Research he did while at Harvard showed that repetitive prayer and nonreligious meditation have similar relaxation effects, but that people find more emotional comfort in prayer. Repetitive prayer slowed the heart and breathing rates, lowered blood pressure and even calmed brain waves. No medication was needed! We all have the ability to provide healing benefits simply by praying or meditating. Who would have guessed that breathing and relaxing could be so good for us? Maybe that mid-afternoon nap in kindergarten was more than just a well deserved break for our teachers! There are many, many studies about the benefits of relaxation on the body. Many different interventions to reach a state of relaxation have been studied. Stress can kill, but it doesn't have to.
Faith Meets Science
Religious People Have Stronger Marriages and Families
Studies support that couples who share a strong bond of faith were happier in their marriages. According to research by P. Kunz and S. Albrecht, couples who regularly practiced a common religion had stable marriages. Other studies have supported these.
Faith Meets Science
Religious people have Healthy Lifestyles
I'm trying to think of a major religion that doesn't encourage healthy living, and I'm coming up with a blank. There are various habits encouraged such as abstinance from alcohol, tobacco, and drugs, of course. Devout Hindus are strict vegetarians as are many traditional Buddhists. All established religions discourage drunkenness, risky sexual behavior and any habit that can be harmful to the body. Adolescents from strong religious backgrounds who attend worship service, pray and read scripture are far less likely to drink alcohol, smoke tobacco or experiment with drugs.
Faith Meets Science
Addictive Behavior
In the late 1970s, a pioneering study that looked at the power of religious faith to heal addicts' longing for heroin was conducted by David Desmond, at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas. He looked at male heroin addicts undergoing treatment at a local hospital. He found that after a year, those in the religious-based recovery programs were almost eight times more likely to report abstinence from heroin than those who received purely secular treatment. That's right: 8 times more likely. That's pretty big! Addicted people who turn to religion and spirituality for support probably receive both emotional and physical support from their faith. They have improved mood which directly impacts those chemicals in the brain. You have the ability to Turn the Power on!
Faith Meets Science
Religion and Weight Control
No need to say that we have a huge problem with obesity in the United States. Our young children are now suffering from chronic diseases once reserved for older adults. Simply put, we're making some real bad choices. High calorie, nutrient poor foods and not enough exercise can be as deadly as using illegal drugs or smoking cigarettes. Research has found that the support of a loving family or close-knit social community such as a religious congregation can bolster that motivation and perseverance so badly needed for change to happen.
Two spiritually based weight loss pragrams are becomming more popular. Two of the groups are First Place and Prayer Walking. In the First Place groups, prayer is used to reduce the tension associated with food. www.firstplace.org have several books and programs to help people start their own group. They are also offered on my amazon.com bookstore. Prayer walking is just like it sounds-walking and praying at the same time. I find this fairly easy to do since when I walk, my mind rattles around to a few big topics of the day and I contemplate them. with walking prayer, you center on the prayer and your steps and try to avoid all else. This is a very meditative walk and offers many benefits to the body, mind and spirit. If you haven't tried this before, I encourage you try it and consider adopting it.
Depression has become a more common problem. It is sometimes difficult to know if the depression came before or after the illness or the weight gain. More and more research is being done with regard to depression and spirituality.
Faith Meets Science: What is the relationship between depression and spirituality?
Faith Meets Science
There is a lot more research documenting the impact when Faith Meets Science out there to report, and the findings are fairly consistant. Even with all the data out there, there is still so little done by the medical and nursing profession. They're trying, though! There are large, growing organizations including the American Holistic Nurses Association of which I am a member and the American Holistic Medical Association. There is hope!
Treat the other man's faith gently; it is all he has to believe with. His mind was created for his own thoughts, not yours or mine.
Henry S. Haskins
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