Energy, Intent and Religious Belief: The Science Behind Prayer and Health

The role of spirituality and religion has long been a topic for debate, especially when pertaining to medicine and health care. While many argue that medicine is a science and has little to do with prayer and spirituality, more and more studies are being conducted as to the importance of prayer in the healing process. Can prayer really make a difference? Is spirituality an important part of medicine? You might just be surprised.

The History of Prayer and Health

While we live in a society where many are quick to want to separate the Church from many aspects of life, we often forget the important part that religion has played in the history of medicine. Of course, most realize that early man relied upon spirituality and prayer - before we had professional doctors and nurses, we had shamanistic healers and medicine men - people believed to have great healing abilities, and we had witches and wise women, renowned for their healing potions. Even distancing ourselves from nomadic tribes and early man, many of the first hospitals and places of healing were created by religious organizations.

Of course, being fair, there is always the argument that many of today's hospitals are not funded by religious organizations (and there are a lot more these days). Beyond who erected what building first, let's probe deeper into the science behind prayer and health.

Prayer and the Mind

Researchers at the National Center for Health Statistics and National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), surveyed more than 31,000 adults in 2004 - discovering that 45% of those asked used prayer for health reasons, 43% prayed for their own health, almost 25% had others that had prayed for them, and close to 10% of those surveyed had participated in a prayer group for their own health benefits. In addition to using prayer, those surveyed had also used meditation, yoga, tai chi and energy healing techniques, such as Reiki. While it's difficult to measure the direct benefits that prayer may have on the healing process, one can also see that many people still do turn to prayer and religious redemption during times of great stress or need.

According to Catherine Stoney, PhD, and NCCAM Program Officer in the Division of Extramural Research and Training, "There is already some preliminary evidence for a connection between prayer and related practices and health outcomes. For example, we've seen some evidence that religious affiliation and religious practices are associated with health and mortality - in other words, with better health and longer life." According to Dr. Stoney, "Such connections may involve immune function, cardiovascular function, and/or other physiological changes."

Whatever one wishes to call it - faith, prayer, spirituality - it all offers people peace of mind. When things are overwhelming and one feels like life is careening crazily about, prayer grants us a sense of peace and a degree of control by placing our trust, our belief, into the hands of a greater power. By granting another the ability to perform healing magick upon us or allowing someone to say a prayer in our benefit, we are letting someone help us shoulder some of the burden.

Spirituality and prayer is also helpful for our healers. Rachel Naomi Remen, MD, Founder and Director of The Institute for the Study of Health and Illness (ISHI) believes that it's important for physicians to remember that "Medicine is a practice and a spiritual path." Dr. Remen believes that spirituality is important to physicians because it keeps them from burning out - that they need to recall those values that first led them into the healing arts and to embrace them once again. These sentiments are echoed through the Inner Life Renewal program, offered at the University of Minnesota's Center for Spirituality and Healing, which helps health care professionals refresh their spirit and rediscover their purpose as healers.

Some might argue that medical professionals who are religious, themselves, are more likely to see others being healed or showing improvement, due to prayer, this is true. However, whichever side of the argument you stand on, we can always use a little breather or someone to talk to. For those who believe, having something to hold onto - something to have faith in - is invaluable.

Prayer and the Body

Regardless of what religion we are, our beliefs affect us in two ways - the most obvious way, of course, is a physical manifestation:

For example - A clinical trial was held recently, where several psoriasis patients were given ultraviolet light sessions to help treat their skin condition. Some of these patients were allowed to listen to meditation tapes during the ultraviolet light treatments, while others were not. The end result showed that those who listened to the meditation tapes healed four times faster than those who did not engage in meditative sessions.

Additionally, it's been proven that guided imagery (sometimes referred to as creative visualization), has been shown to reduce both anxiety and pain in people with various medical conditions, such as those suffering from headaches or asthma. It's believed that, by teaching a person to tune out the world about them - and to focus on their bodies and the messages they send - we are able to focus our own natural healing properties. In 2001, a study of 150 people who were receiving coronary stenting was published in the November issue of the American Heart Journal. There, M.W. Krucoff stated that there was a 25-30% reduction in negative outcomes (death, heart failure, heart attack, etc.) amongst the people who engaged in regular prayer and other spiritual therapies.

The second way in which our beliefs affect us, is in changes to our lifestyle. Many religions focus on self-improvement and good health, in addition to basic worship.

Dean Ornish, MD, has found tremendous success with a program that combines meditation, yoga, stress management and group support, with a good diet and exercise, to reverse coronary artery disease. This new approach is now being tried on patients who are suffering from prostrate cancer, in an effort to learn what kind of lifestyle changes may have beneficial/negative effects on the patients. By weaving a mixture of spirituality and physical changes together, the body is better able to heal.

Perhaps another way to look upon this is that, by improving our physical and mental health and well being, we actually heal and improve our spirit as well.

The Future for Prayer and Health

More and more organizations are opening their minds and are focusing more on the science behind prayer and health. In 1992, only 3 of the nation's medical schools included courses on spirituality and faith. Today, 2/3 of all medical schools now include these courses. Considering the direction that this is taking us, combining spirituality and healing may very well be the new medicine of the future.

Sources:

http://www.shareguide.com/Dossey.html

http://www.bravewell.org/integrative_medicine/philosophical_foundation/spirituality_and_healthcare/ - The Importance of Spirituality in Healthcare

http://www.mainstreambaptists.org/mob/prayer_&_healing.htm - Discussion from a doctor and pastor