Prayer and healing: a persuasive argument
It is human nature that an individual tries to find meaning in his life, especially during difficult and challenging times. A survey report indicated that majority (74 to 96%) of Westerners believe in the existence and power of a higher being, with this entity belonging to a particular religion (Koenig, 2003). Research has also reported that individuals believe that prayer helps them deal with crises and attain good health (Powell et al. , 2003). Prayer pertains to an action that involves communications and asking a higher entity for a specific request.
Prayer is employed in several religious groups, including Christian and Muslim religions. The Christian religious culture has been examined in more detail and prayer has been classified into several types. Conversational prayer involves an informal interactions with the higher being and topics of the exchange range from daily matters to thanking God for the blessings the individual has received. Prayer that is performed as meditation involves contemplation of an individual’s relationship with different aspects on his life.
The reading of the sacred scriptures is considered ritual prayer, while a prayer asking for help for another individual is called intercessory prayer. Regardless of the type of prayer an individual employs, it has been reported that prayer serves as an integral part of healing. Be it an individual praying for his own healing during an illness or praying for a sick friend or relative, prayer has been an intriguing aspect of medical health because it does not involve any straightforward medical evidences yet a significant number of cases have been reported to improve in terms of health and well-being.
According to researchers, prayer is considered as a positive influence in healing because this action is coupled to a relaxed condition to an individual (Benson, 1975). The act of meditation generates positive responses in the human body, resulting in the normal patterns of breathing, heart rate and arterial blood pressure. The temperature of the extremities such as the hands and feet of an individual have also been observed to warm up, instead of getting cold and sweaty.
Neurological activity of an individual in the act of prayer has also been observed to slow down, which is a characteristic of a relaxed condition. The metabolic rate of a praying individual also decreases, as a response of the relaxed state. The act of praying has been strongly associated with a heightened activity of the brain, similar to that of individuals who are participating in communication with another individual (Levin, 2001). Another mechanism of action of prayer on healing is that positive expressions are generated while meditating with a higher entity.
These good emotions further promote physiological effects on the human body. Neuropeptides or proteins that are specifically secreted in the nerve cells are produced and these help in making the rest of the body better and ultimately, heal. Medical research has established that these neuropeptides play an important role in maintaining a good and health condition in the body. Psychological analysis also identify that psychosomatic illnesses are triggered by an altered mental state, which influences the rest of the body to abnormally work.
Prayer serves as an additional channel for an individual to express his emotions regarding any issue that concerns his own self. It allows an individual to believe that a higher being is in control of his life and that if he asks for guidance and assistance, he will be helped out through difficult times. Prayer has served as a route for healing and there is a growing number of scientific and medical reports that provide credible evidence that prayer indeed may serve as another route for the healing of an individual.
The beneficiaries of prayer, be it through meditation or intercessory, can attest to the healing powers of communication with a higher being. References Benson, H. (1975). The relaxation response. New York: Avon Books. Koenig, H. G. (2003). Religion, spirituality and health: An American physician’s response. Medical Journal of Australia, 178,51-52. Levin, J. S. (2001). God, faith, and health: Exploring the spirituality–healing connection. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Powell, L. H. , Shahabi, L. and Thoresen, C. E. (2003). Religion and spirituality: Linkages to physical health. American Psychologist, 58,36-52.
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