Recent research highlights the association between prayer and its significant impact on one’s health. Prayer, in its diverse forms and techniques, typically involves communication with a sacred or supreme being. It’s often promoted within religious and spiritual traditions, accompanied by formal rituals to facilitate this connection.
Resilience studies have particularly focused on survivors who’ve not only endured but thrived despite severe crises. Prayer has emerged as a vital source of strength and solace for many in such circumstances.
In recent years, my interest has gravitated toward individuals who’ve faced considerable trials yet managed to maintain their health and well-being despite setbacks, heartbreak, or misfortune. I’ve been intrigued by their ability to sustain inner strength, learning much about their exceptional levels of resilience through conversations. While prayer isn’t a recurring topic in every discussion, it stands as a common factor among many survivors. It’s important to distinguish prayer from any specific church institution, as faith is deeply personal and transcends ownership by any organisation.
Research indicates that prayer holds psychological benefits, fostering hope, reducing fear, and nurturing attributes such as forgiveness, gratitude, and compassion—qualities often explored in studies on happiness.
The intricacies of prayer, faith, or religious beliefs are multifaceted. It’s conceivable that spirituality plays a pivotal role, with prayer serving as one of its expressions.
For those with religious faith, prayer is a means of manifesting belief in the Divine, offering profound comfort. But does being non-religious place one at a disadvantage? Not necessarily. Psychologists are still unraveling the precise components involved emphasising that one can be religious but not spiritual, spiritual but not religious, or both. This complexity underscores its role in resilience, despite the challenge in offering a definitive definition
(C) Shane Martin
Don’t miss my Art of Living webinar on Wednesday
The Art of Living Well: Cultivating Happiness, Purpose, and Balance -A special ‘live’ webinar with Shane Martin C.Psychol.Ps.S.I.
Wednesday 15th November ’23
8-9.00 pm
€30 (plus Eventbrite booking fee)
Reserve your spot now! Just click on the link below
If you cannot make the event you can still register and I will send you a link to a recording of it
