Religion, Prayer, and Health - Essay Example

Religious beliefs are endorsed by every society or culture. People often relate well-being to the social terms and religious affiliation. In the religious context, people usually overlook the devout differences as they all covet similar goals in the spiritual context. All the positive emotions such as hope, self-esteem, mood stabilization, inspiration and personal encouragement are brought on the surface through prayers. Religion and prayer often serve as a good means to connect through self thereby enabling people to understand their illnesses and take the possible medical measures. Prayer is important towards individual health since it brings satisfaction, mental peace and facilitates positive thinking when an individual is dissatisfied with a specific event in life. A healthy state of mind usually boosts physical health thereby preventing depressions and low self-esteem. Religion and prayers have health benefits; many people believe that through prayers one is able to gain physical and mental well-being.

Public intellectuals and scientists believe that religion and prayers can be dangerous to the health of an individual. When practiced with a lot of emotions, an individual might go for psychiatric assistance. The critics of religion and prayers argue that there is lack of supporting evidence on whether prayers have health benefits; they often focus on what they believe to be the irrationality of religious practices. The scientists and the intellectuals usually fail to consider various scientific studies that reveal measurable benefits of prayers and religion on health. According to Andrade and Radhakrishnan (2009), individuals who pray are less vulnerable to negative physical health. Prayers improve self-control enabling people to think positively even in stressful situations. The most population of the world believes in various religious activities and this defines their well-being and health. Religion and prayer make an individual stress free; they influence the state of mind, helping a person to relax thereby reducing the effects of stress in various body organs (Dossey, 2011). Prayer also reduces mental stress and improves emotional reaction. Prayers speed up post-surgical recovery. Through praying, the body relaxes and it becomes free from sync stressed state, a scenario that quickens the healing of the surgical wounds. When the body is out of sync, all the physiological activities are focused towards equalization process. The practices of praying are beneficial to the functioning of the heart. It facilitates the recovery processes in the heart after surgery or heart attack (Grossoehme, 2014).

During prayers, an individual achieves a comfortable environment that ensures the regulation of heartbeat, making it less stressed and stronger. Through minimizing the ill effects of stress, prayers enables live longer. A stress-free environment enables the body to heal better and grow more efficiently amidst the presence of ailments that often causes depressions and anxieties. Praying keeps diseases at bay through improving the bodys immunity; it reduces the symptoms of asthma and keeps a person healthy (Murphy, 2012).

In conclusion, religion and prayer create positive emotions; enhance the moods and relationship between people. Prayers improve self-esteem and it reduces anxieties characterized by the stressful environments. Religion and prayers have health benefits; many people believe that through prayers one is able to gain physical and mental well-being. Although many studies reveal a strong correlation between prayers and health, more medical studies need to be done to enhance the understanding of effects of religion and prayers on the well-being of people.

References

Andrade, C., & Radhakrishnan, R. (2009). Prayer and healing: A medical and scientific perspective on randomized controlled trials. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 51(4), 247.

Dossey, L. (2011). Prayer is good medicine: How to reap the healing benefits of prayer. Harper Collins.

Grossoehme, D. H. (2014). Overview of qualitative research. Journal of health care chaplaincy, 20(3), 109-122.

Murphy, T. F. (2012). In defense of irreligious bioethics. The American Journal of Bioethics, 12(12), 3-10.