Evidence suggests that having strong spiritual or religious beliefs, however defined, can assist psychologically in fighting, and coping with, illness - Crosswalk.com
What Science Says about the Power of Religion and Prayer to Heal
By Robert Klitzman, MD
As a medical intern, I once treated a young woman with metastatic breast cancer, whose sparkling blue eyes looked up at me every morning with hope. I did as much as possible for her medically, but unfortunately, her cancer spread further. She developed ongoing fevers and nausea, and soon rarely glanced at me when I entered her room. Most of the days, she lay on her side, fatigued, her face turned to the wall.
She was Catholic, and one day, I noticed that a priest had started visiting her. A week later, when I entered the room, she looked up at me again and smiled. I sensed that she felt a renewed connection to something beyond her.
Sadly, she died a month later, but had seemed far less despondent. Her priest had offered her something that I could not.
Religion, spirituality and prayer aid many patients, but in varying ways. Patients with serious disease and their families commonly feel fear and despair, and come to value religious and spiritual beliefs. A 2023 AP-NORC poll found that 72 percent of Americans believed in the power of prayer. Attendance at religious services has also been associated with a lower risk of death, suicide, and substance abuse, and less depression.
I recently completed an in-depth study based on interviews with hospital chaplains from different regions of the country and religious backgrounds — including Christians, Jews, Muslims and secular humanists. This research showed how vital religious or spiritual issues are for numerous patients and families, and how chaplains frequently assist in myriad ways.
Why do spirituality and prayer help?
Some claims about religion and health are incorrect and can be hurtful. Patients have told me, “My sister says that if I had only prayed more, I wouldn’t have gotten cancer.” Some people believe that God somehow directly and purposefully causes and can cure disease. As a medical intern, I have also seen cancer patients who skipped effective treatment, opting to pray instead, even as the disease spread through their bodies. We could now do little for them, except make them comfortable as they died.
Some people believe that what is known as intercessory prayer — other people praying for a patient, even if the patient doesn’t know about it — can directly alter biological processes in the patient’s body. But research has, overall, not supported this claim .
But evidence suggests that having strong spiritual or religious beliefs, however defined, can assist psychologically in fighting, and coping with, illness. Here are some of the ways prayer and faith can affect patient health.
Brain changes: Neuroscience research shows that strong religious or spiritual beliefs are associated with thicker parts of the brain, providing neuronal reserves that can buffer against depression and despair.
Purpose: Religion and spirituality, broadly defined, provide a sense of meaning, purpose and hope.
Meaning: Many patients come to find or construct their own sources of meaning. It may be through traditional faith or a belief in art, poetry, science, mathematics, nature or the universe. As one patient, who said he was “not religious,” once told me, “I believe in the Third Law of Thermodynamics: Energy can neither be created nor destroyed; it merely goes on in another form.”
Social support: Religious and spiritual groups also commonly provide valuable social support and interactions. Such a group doesn’t need to be religious. It could be a yoga group, a book club, or a Facebook discussion group about Harry Potter.
What if prayer isn’t my thing?
I’ve seen prayer aid many patients psychologically. Some say the Serenity Prayer: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
But those who aren’t religious can find a sense of meaning and purpose as they cope with illness or end of life. Some patients find, for instance, that walking to and admiring a river, lake or hilltop, or sitting in a park is beneficial.
You can also practice meditation and mindfulness. Quietly focus your attention on your breathing, or on one thing, such as what each part of your body is feeling.
Some patients take moments out of the day to express gratitude for all that they have, such as people who love them.
Hospital chaplains offer more than prayer
Remember that anyone can speak to a hospital chaplain. Increasingly, chaplains are receiving training in interfaith and nondenominational approaches, and see themselves as having a “post-religious” profession, benefiting patients of varied backgrounds.
One chaplain, for instance, when he introduced himself to a patient, was rejected. “My religion is CNN: politics and knowledge!” the patient said. The chaplain left, disconcerted, but returned the next day and asked, “What do you think about what’s going on now politically?” They ended up speaking at length and forming a strong connection that the patient appreciated.
Another chaplain told me about a despondent patient who was dying and felt that his life was not worth living and that he was a burden to others. The chaplain picked up a piece of bread from the patient’s meal tray and said, “Bread is really amazing, isn’t it? Just to enjoy the taste of a piece of bread! Maybe life is not meant to be lived according to external accomplishments. What if it’s okay just to enjoy the days you have?” The patient brightened and felt a renewed sense of meaning.
These insights can potentially assist many of us in our lives, even if we don’t have a serious illness. We may get sick or know a patient who may benefit. Awareness of these insights can frequently help.
(Robert Klitzman is a psychiatrist and director of the Masters of Bioethics program at Columbia University and the author of “ Doctor, Will You Pray for Me? Medicine, Chaplains and Healing the Whole Person .” - The Washington Post)
