A Scientific Approach To Prayer For Healing

By Traci Witt


All across the globe, individuals of different religious backgrounds show a measure of faith in prayer for healing. The powers exercised here have undergone examination in randomized, triple-blind controlled trials. Good examples exist of this case plus critical analysis of philosophical dimensions involved in such research work.

Prayers are demonstrated to have caused positive outcome in species of human form and nonhuman as well. There is a paradox existing in this whole evaluation process, in that intercessory prayers still appear not to change anything in certain cases. As well, curative experiences by patients involved are not observed instantaneously or progressively but rather in retrospect.

Research on the curative effects prompted by prayers is riddled with contradictions, assumptions plus challenges somewhat. As such the subject turns to be quite explosive when scientific studies are conducted on it. One might therefore construe research work done so far as being inconclusive as to provide unequivocal evidence in support of curative prayers.

Perhaps even then, the ultimate way to prove whether prayers do work is by considering matters from a spiritual perspective. For thousands of years, various forms of religious practice have been associated with curative aspects. Individuals from all walks of life invest thousands of man-hours petitioning for health together with relief from different ailments. Majority of these people are in fact quite bold about their faith and intercede for friends, loved ones plus perfect strangers in certain cases.

Prayers could occasion positive curative effects by specific mechanism of action or through different ones. Being a unique meditative practice, prayer is believed to deliver any health gain imaginable. Diverse kinds of meditation to date are shown as triggering some biological and psychological changes, which are related to actual health improvement. Meditation can minimize resting as well as ambulatory blood-pressure to clinically-significant proportions. This spiritual act is observed also to deteriorate heart-rate plus suppress cortico-striatal glutamatergic neurotransmission.

Other benefits here include boosting of immune response while also decreasing reactive oxygen species levels as assessed by ultra-weak photon emission. The act of meditation is associated as well with positive mood states, reduction of pain plus anxiety, together with enhancement of self esteem. Such practice has been noted for favorably influencing quality of all aspects relating to human life, whether spiritual, emotional or physical.

Lives of people who suffer form terminal diseases have been witnessed to improve drastically during late stages, due to meditation. The spiritual meditation form has been seen as yielding better gains when compared with relaxation plus secular meditation. All this relates to improving positive moods and spiritual well-being as well as tolerance of pain.

Support for prayers can be provided by varying the level of faith applied. Treatment gains of clinically significant degrees have been witnessed with placebo in multiple kinds of disorders including depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), schizophrenia and tardive dyskinesia. Additional medical conditions which occur due to prayer for healing are ischemic heart disease, Parkinson's disease, cardiac failure and cancer even, among many others.




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