Prayer and healing have been linked together in all of the world’s most prominent religious traditions, but it’s only recently that science has begun to broach the subject of how prayer, meditation, and other spiritual practices influence physical health. For a long time, the separation of spirituality and science was even more fervent than America’s separation of church and state, but now there’s a growing body of research on the subject with many prestigious institutions on the roster.
Science hasn’t come to any sweeping conclusions about spiritual practices and health outcomes.
Yet, for those who’ve personally felt comforted, lead, or even completely healed through a spiritual or religious experience, the lack of scientific consensus doesn’t change their conviction.
It’s not something I talk about a lot, but I count myself as someone who has experienced a spiritual healing. I’m also not sure that this kind of thing can be replicated (I certainly tried when I experienced my next major illness; it ended up being Prednisone that saved my life—not prayer.) The concrete results that come from herbal medicine feel much more predictable to me than any kind of spiritual or faith-based healing, which I suppose is why I became an herbalist and not a faith healer of some description. Yet, if even research scientists are willing to investigate the possibility that there’s something to the power of prayer, maybe there are some insights that we can glean from personal stories as well as clinical studies that’s worthy of a place in our medicine bag.
So, rather than pretend that I have the answers to all of the worthy questions about how prayer, meditation, and spirituality in their many diverse forms might or might not “work” to support human health, I’d like to devote this episode to sharing some stories from our community.
And of course, you’re welcome to add your own stories in the comments. My hope is that you’ll find inspiration in this episode to consider your own beliefs and nurture a spiritual practice that feels meaningful and authentic to you.
Finally, if you’re particularly curious about the state of the scientific research on prayer, here’s a fascinating article originally published in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry that reviews multiple clinical trials and systemic reviews of prayer. The descriptions and results of each study are interesting, but what really captures my heart and imagination is the series of questions posed at the end of the article. The authors describe all of the ways that combining faith and science is so challenging: equally challenging, it seems, for scientists and theologians alike.
Next week, I’m looking forward to sharing an episode all about the Summer Solstice! Even though it’s a holiday most of us don’t celebrate these days, there’s a very real way that the rhythm of the seasons affects our bodies and minds, and the Solstice is a time to celebrate the gifts that this season has to offer. Look forward to some fun recipes, Shakespeare references, and at least a few things that you didn’t know about St. John’s Wort.
