Faith and Health

Faith has a profound impact on health. Mounting scientific evidence shows that when people pray, meditate, or perform spiritual exercises, they can experience seemingly miraculous effects on their health. Such findings effectively give us additional options when fighting diseases.

There may be several reasons for this phenomenon. First, religious practices often bring peace of mind to people and help relieve stress, which directly affects blood pressure levels. In addition, social interaction and emotional support within a religious community can reduce stress and anxiety.



Religious rituals also promote a healthier lifestyle, and the emotional and psychological support brought by faith can help preserve heart health. Religious activities can provide seniors with social gathering opportunities, help them cope with illness and stress, and maintain healthy daily habits. Mr.

Liu, an engineer with chronic insomnia, benefited from Falun Gong practice. He started meditating every night and taking notes on his sleep patterns. Two months later, he saw a significant improvement in his sleep quality.

He feels that meditating before bed is the best way to relax and fall into a deeper sleep. With all the benefits of meditation in lowering our stress levels, improving our mood, and helping us make healthier lifestyle choices, our immune systems become more balanced and less susceptible to damage from external factors. In addition, people with chronic pain are often more sedentary and more likely to engage in drug and alcohol abuse than the general population.

The 2008 study found that people with faith, especially those who regularly participate in religious activities, are more likely to use exercise to improve pain and less likely to become addicted to substances such as drugs and alcohol. Prayer, meditation, and other spiritual activities can inspire a certain degree of relaxation response in our bodies, reduce our perception of pain, and enhance the effectiveness of pain treatments. Pain is closely linked to biological, cultural, psychological, and faith-based factors.

It is, therefore, beneficial to include faith-based support in managing chronic pain..