Today, most people believe in the healing power of faith. When you have a little faith, it will lower your risk of depression, heart disease and many more physical and mental problems.
Mike Coyne, after undergoing bone marrow transplant for lymphatic cancer, credits his healing to his doctors – and his faith. He said prayer provided him with reassurance that everything would be all right. That may be why many people turn to faith healing.
According to a survey by the Institute of Health of the United States, 31,000 people have used prayer as a form of alternative medicine. Usually spiritual people turn to faith healing more than those who do not believe in religion. A study by Duke University Medical Centre reveals elderly people who are religious have fewer symptoms of depression. It has been confirmed by a team of researchers of Yale University. According to the study, poor people in urban areas who believed in God are less likely to be depressed than non-religious people.
Faith healing is not confined to a particular religion. According to Buddhism, Mindfulness Meditation helps patients become aware of their thoughts. When Robert Hurd was seized by shooting back pains he had to undergo surgery to adjust a bulging disc. Potent pills made him groggy. Then he started practising Mindfulness Meditation. After some time, he was able to lead a normal life. However, Mindfulness Meditation is no substitute for medical treatment, but a complement to it.
Secret of happiness
I visited an elderly patient in hospital. She had undergone a major hip surgery and she was mourning the death of her husband. With all such problems, she greeted me warmly. When I asked what the secret of her happiness was, she said, “I read the Bible and talk to God. He is always there even when my loved ones had left me.”
During my conversation with her, I learned that by praying to God, religious people acquire an indirect form of control over their illnesses. They believe that they are not alone in their struggles and God is personally interested in them.
In recent years, other researchers have been reporting similar findings. As a result, more and more doctors are beginning to understand the role that faith can play in healing. According to a team of researchers in Israel, religious people had a 40 percent lower death rate from cardiovascular diseases and cancer than their secular peers. A Yale University study has found that those who never attended church had nearly twice the stroke rate than weekly churchgoers.
Prof. Herbert Benson of Harvard Medical School says the relaxed state of mind brought on by prayer and meditation reduces the impact of stress hormones. Praying and meditation lower blood pressure and slow down brain waves.
In his book ‘Timeless Healing’, Prof. Benson says that people are wired for God. Dr. Dale A. Matthews in ‘The Faith Factor’ says prayer is not a panacea that should supplant medication.
Religion and medicine
Tom Lang who had been stabbed in the heart, stomach and spleen during a domestic dispute had to undergo seven operations. When he was released from hospital, he had a large wound in his stomach. When he returned to hospital for surgery, the doctors were surprised how he had recovered.
He told them that there was something beyond the excellent medical care he received. That was God. Dr. Reghan Foley, after examining his patient, said, “I think religion and medicine are inextricably related. Everyone has spirituality. It’s basically what gives your life meaning.”
Before healing became a science, people believed that there was a connection between spirit and body. However, at the beginning, Western medical practitioners moved away from spirituality and religious faith. Today many doctors in developed countries attend conferences on faith and healing in treating humans. The wall between science and religion seems to be crumbling down. Those who attend religious services in churches, temples and kovils appear to live longer than non-religious people. Even in Sri Lanka, Buddhists perform ‘Bodhi poojas’ when someone in the family falls seriously ill.
There are many studies done to see whether regular churchgoers live happier than non-believers. According to research, churchgoers are less likely to smoke, drink or engage in extramarital affairs. They are more likely to have a network of social support. Today, all organised religions provide opportunities to the community to engage in religious activities. Those who do not attend religious places are more likely to be mentally and physically weak.
The impact of religion on sick people is something like the placebo effect. If you believe in it, it works. It is a very powerful force. Today, even doctors in developed countries concede that it is crucial to use faith as an accessory to medical care. However, this can be done effectively only if the patient is a religious person.
Spirituality and health
Although there was some hesitation to accept faith healing as a form of cure, the medical profession is gradually embracing spirituality. It is a good sign to see doctors and patients express a desire to rely on faith. At leading universities in the United States, students take a course in religious traditions in health care. It covers the correlation between spirituality and health. They study various faiths such as Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism and Hinduism.
The story of the US radio talk-show host Diane Rehm is noteworthy. When she began to lose her voice, she consulted specialists and underwent several tests. However, her condition remained the same. A friend suggested that she should seek spiritual help. Thereafter, Rehm met a bishop who performed a centuries-old healing rite. The bishop laid his hand on Remh’s head and started praying.
However, at the end of prayers, she did not feel better. She only felt a sense of peace overcoming her. Rehm continued to attend the prayer sessions for several weeks while taking medical treatment. After recovery, she said that faith was a complement to medical treatment.
It is true that medical science has improved the quality of life and increased our life expectancy. However, medical science alone has not done this miracle. People’s faith in religion matters a lot in the process of recovering from serious diseases.
