The Scientific Power of Prayer
The mind body connection is full of powerful and amazing implications. Dr. Herbert Benson who founded the BHI, Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine is a professor at Harvard Medical School. The institute is a part of Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Benson believes physical health is highly influenced by behaviors, feelings and thoughts, as well as these same behaviors, feelings and thoughts being influenced by physical symptoms. Another of life’s amazing cycles revealed.
What remains unknown is how thoughts, beliefs, and feelings assume their role in the development of disease, as well as recovery from disease. We are already aware how some people can change their thoughts through prayer, resulting in seemingly miraculous events. An example would be a total reversal of some terminal condition. We still need to figure out just how thoughts and beliefs manage to affect our body in this way. We are aware that mind and body are in constant communication. What is thought, perceived and experienced is sent from mind to body consistently.
For centuries people have been influencing there health, as well as the health of others through prayer. This mind body approach towards medicine works at teaching patients to change their thought patterns, reduce stress and changing their behaviors to remove any negativity, all while embracing their beliefs to better control and prevail over any illness.
Among all of the religions; Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, or Christian, there is a commonality. They all hold deep belief systems in reference to prayer for healing. Online prayer groups, healing rooms and community prayer groups are readily available for everyone all over the world. An article published in the Washington Post says, “Surveys have found that perhaps half of Americans regularly pray for their own health, and at least a quarter have others pray for them.”
It’s not only the religious who promote prayer for an alteration of health. Phenomena of varying kinds have been cited in quantum physics whereby particles from distant locations can affect the behavior of others in somewhat mysterious ways. Therefore, having people praying for you conceivably propels energy towards you which could affect your state of health.
Additional to quantum physics citations there have been an abundance of studies conducted over the years, finding strong links between health and prayers. Although the reasons remain unclear at this time, many theories are continually being tested.
In one study based at Saint Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, Mo. consisting of 990 cardiac patients, researchers discovered prayer improved health considering a conducted at Saint Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, Mo., researchers found prayer improved health based on an amalgamation of scores developed by the researchers for this study.
In an interview conducted by Heritage.org with Dr. Harold G. Koenig, a tenured associate professor of psychiatry at Duke University, an associate professor of medicine, the director and founder of the Center for the Study of Religion/Spirituality and Health at Duke University, several smaller studies were cited. “(In these studies)You find a connection between religious involvement and immune and endocrine function; in five of seven studies, the religious experience lower mortality from cancer; in 14 of 23, they have significantly lower blood pressure; in 11 of 14, they have lower mortality; and in 12 of 13, clergy mortality is lower.”
It is without doubt we can see the significance prayer has on our health as well as our mortality. As scientists work to better define the parameters and work with control groups, we’ll continually gain insight on the connection between mind and body. Until this occurs, grasp the power to know for a fact how our thoughts and beliefs directly affect not only our own health and mortality, but those of others too.
Related posts: