New research
is exploring the connection between biology and the spiritual practice
of prayer. It has, for some time now, offered insight on how the
body heals. Many people have used prayers to help them heal from
many illnesses; from heart attacks to cancer.
To verify the validity of the healing power of prayer, many research
institutions such as the Geisinger Medical Center in the USA have
maintained a close eye on the long-term recovery of patients who
receive prayer as a remedy. At the John Hopkins Hospital, doctors
are studying women who have breast cancer and say a meditative prayer
twice daily. Neurologists at The University of Pennsylvania are
studying changes in brain scans of meditating Tibetan Buddhists
and praying nuns. These are just some of the examples of the scientific
research that prayer is undergoing.
The purpose of these experiments to see whether prayer affects
the biological disease process in people that use prayer. A few
years ago, the scientific community would have ignored this kind
of study. Evidence has amassed to set a solid foundation for consideration.
Medical curiosity and acceptance has begun to increase. An estimated
77% of studies on the affects of prayer have confirmed health benefits
in their patients. Many studies have also shown that individuals
who pray regularly and attend religious services live longer, healthier
lives than those who do not. The same holds true even when age,
health, habits, demographics, and other factors are considered.
Prayer affects the quality of life, whether you pray for yourself
or others. In a study at Dartmouth Medical Center, medical researchers
and doctors best predicted the survival of 200 heart surgery patients
based on the degree to which the patients drew comfort and strength
from prayer. According to a research conducted by the University
of Miami, AIDS patients became long-term survivors when they were
more likely to be those involved in religious practices and or prayer.
Studies have also shown that prayer has also contributed in the
recovery from depression, alcoholism, hip surgery, drug addiction,
stroke, rheumatoid arthritis, heart attack, bypass surgery, and
several other ailments.
To some physicians the power of prayer is too powerful to ignore,
almost like withholding an important medical procedure from a patient.
In several medical centers around the world, almost a thousand patients
with potentially life threatening diseases participated in the MANTRA
project, a randomized trial of intercessory or distant prayers.
The names of the patients where given to groups like Carmelite nuns,
Buddhist monks, and Sufi Muslims who prayed for their recovery.
In a primary test study, prayer recipients had shown 60% to 98%
fewer complications.
Although it is unknown what physiologically happens in human beings
when they pray, scientist have considered that prayer may create
the state of peace and calm that lead to beneficial changes in the
cardiovascular and immune system. Studies through brain imaging
technology have confirmed changes in blood flow in specific regions
of the brain during prayer and meditation.
The belief in the power of prayer is strong and influential, an
increasingly strong foundation based on facts and proofs, and not
just unfounded, blind hope and religion. In various American polls,
82% say they pray and 75% believe prayers can heal. In the end it
is accurate to say that prayer is correlated to proper health as
much as a proper diet and exercise are.
The true value of prayer to humanity is Hope. Hope in an answer
from God, which is the father of all that lives and that is why
He loves and cares for us.
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