The Power of PRAYER
Can a prayer heal? Devotees who throng various religious shrines in the country, defenitely answer in the affirmative. Their stories unequivocally indicate Gods hand in cases of miraculous recoveries.In religious books too the link between prayer and health is enshrined in no ambiguous terms.But for science nad scientists, the role between prayer in healing body and mind is still a evolving discipline.Research has shown that people who pray are less likely to fall ill, and when they do, they tend to recover faster. Prayer seems to have a healing effect upon those who pray, it also affects people who are prayed for by others, known as intercessory prayers.Scientists in the west also been involved in the studies whether prayers have any measurable healing effect at all.
For over three decades now Dr Herbert Benson, Cardiologist and founder president of Harvard Medical Schools Mind/Body Medical Institute, has been conducting a similar research.Thanks to his intiative largely, Harvard students today have the option to learn the link between spirituality and health.Dr Benson focused specifically on Trancendental meditation (TM) as taught by MaharishiMahesh Yogi, to understand how the mind effects the body. Later he extended it to all forms of prayer, which according to him,evokes a relaxation response that quells stress, calms the body and promotes healing.
So how does prayer heal? Dr Benson answers that prayers involve a repetition of sounds and words which produce a healing effect. He has documented MRI brain scans which mapped the physical changes that takes place in the body when someone meditates.These changes include a decrease in metabolism, heart rate, blood pressure, rate of breathing, slower brain waves, and enhanced feelings of control, peace and tranquility.
Closer home, Dr Rajesh Parikh, honorary neuro-psycatrist from Jaslok Hospital, Mumbai, who has taught at Harvard Medical School, agrees with Dr Benson. "Prayer in its essence is like medication. Here all the inputs coming to the brain are filtered out. Thats why the mind starts resting and finally calms down. Consequently the body also feels better due to the lower heart rate, breathing rate and a slight drop in blood pressure" he says.
Dr Sujay Rao consultant micro-neuro-surgeon, Manipal Hospital,Bangalore, makes a pertinent observation here: "prayer, rationally can't be expected to phyysically remove organic disease.For instance it can't make a cancer tumour dissappear or make a fracture reunite." He adds, "During an illness there's a sence of fear, depression and surrendering to the illness. Prayer diminishes this negative input and makes the patient feel better. There is enough evidence in clinical psychology to suggest any kind of prayer which allows the mind to transfer fear and suffering into another agency believed to be a higher power, reduces your burden of suffering or fear. Secondly high adrenalin levels during stress and unhappiness lower the immunity, elevate blood sugar, raise heart rate and blood pressure and generally make an individual more succeptible to infection and illness. Prayer can reverse this effects and generate a feel-good response," he explains.
The limbic system located deep inside the brain is evolutinally the oldest part of the human brain (the Paleobrain). This part of the brain is directly related to the bodys responses to stress and threats. It is a bridge between stressfull situations and neural systems that generate physical responses, such as elevation of pulse rate and blood pressure, sweating, facil flushing, etc. THe temporal lobes located just above the ears, enclose the limbic system and ere responsible for the emotional colourings of human reponses, such as fear, flight and agression, observes Dr Rao.
The frontal lobes are responsible for rational and logical control of the temporal lobe responses,such as ability to choose not to react to a hostile situation. Though it is an over-simplification, deep prayer works through the frontal lobes and modifies the responses of the temporal centers, reducing emotional distress in response to the disease. This is one way in which prayer heals," he concludes.
For over three decades now Dr Herbert Benson, Cardiologist and founder president of Harvard Medical Schools Mind/Body Medical Institute, has been conducting a similar research.Thanks to his intiative largely, Harvard students today have the option to learn the link between spirituality and health.Dr Benson focused specifically on Trancendental meditation (TM) as taught by MaharishiMahesh Yogi, to understand how the mind effects the body. Later he extended it to all forms of prayer, which according to him,evokes a relaxation response that quells stress, calms the body and promotes healing.
So how does prayer heal? Dr Benson answers that prayers involve a repetition of sounds and words which produce a healing effect. He has documented MRI brain scans which mapped the physical changes that takes place in the body when someone meditates.These changes include a decrease in metabolism, heart rate, blood pressure, rate of breathing, slower brain waves, and enhanced feelings of control, peace and tranquility.
Closer home, Dr Rajesh Parikh, honorary neuro-psycatrist from Jaslok Hospital, Mumbai, who has taught at Harvard Medical School, agrees with Dr Benson. "Prayer in its essence is like medication. Here all the inputs coming to the brain are filtered out. Thats why the mind starts resting and finally calms down. Consequently the body also feels better due to the lower heart rate, breathing rate and a slight drop in blood pressure" he says.
Dr Sujay Rao consultant micro-neuro-surgeon, Manipal Hospital,Bangalore, makes a pertinent observation here: "prayer, rationally can't be expected to phyysically remove organic disease.For instance it can't make a cancer tumour dissappear or make a fracture reunite." He adds, "During an illness there's a sence of fear, depression and surrendering to the illness. Prayer diminishes this negative input and makes the patient feel better. There is enough evidence in clinical psychology to suggest any kind of prayer which allows the mind to transfer fear and suffering into another agency believed to be a higher power, reduces your burden of suffering or fear. Secondly high adrenalin levels during stress and unhappiness lower the immunity, elevate blood sugar, raise heart rate and blood pressure and generally make an individual more succeptible to infection and illness. Prayer can reverse this effects and generate a feel-good response," he explains.
The limbic system located deep inside the brain is evolutinally the oldest part of the human brain (the Paleobrain). This part of the brain is directly related to the bodys responses to stress and threats. It is a bridge between stressfull situations and neural systems that generate physical responses, such as elevation of pulse rate and blood pressure, sweating, facil flushing, etc. THe temporal lobes located just above the ears, enclose the limbic system and ere responsible for the emotional colourings of human reponses, such as fear, flight and agression, observes Dr Rao.
The frontal lobes are responsible for rational and logical control of the temporal lobe responses,such as ability to choose not to react to a hostile situation. Though it is an over-simplification, deep prayer works through the frontal lobes and modifies the responses of the temporal centers, reducing emotional distress in response to the disease. This is one way in which prayer heals," he concludes.
Article in Times of India
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