If, as Teilhard de Chardin has said, “We are all spiritual beings trying to express our humanity,” then the holistic definition of health as “a complete sense of physical, mental, social, and spiritual wellbeing” is crucial. For spirituality involves
finding meaning, purpose, and hope in
life. Whilst belief in organised religion may have declined belief in a
non-material part of life is still prevalent.
Recent developments in quantum physics tend to support the
importance of non-material factors in our lives. Through the “interconnectivity
of all matter” actions can have an effect at a distance (the “non-local effect”).
It has been observed that electrical conductivity in the DNA of isolated human cells can be affected at a distance of 350 miles by
the triggering of different emotions in their original donors. Also, studies
show human cells grow more quickly in a culture dish when “touched” by positive
and empathetic thoughts regularly, even though the cells are not derived from
the person “touching.” Thus empathy can influence human DNA.
More significantly the empathetic
intentions of spiritual healers have been shown to have a detectable effect on
the MRI scans of the brains of recipients at a distance – another “non-local
effect.” The part of the brain affected
is also associated with the placebo
response, which is now known to be our powerful inner healing drive and not
just a positive psychological response towards the doctor’s treatment. So
whilst we do not yet have hard scientific evidence that prayer does work
for physical and mental healing, the recent study above of healers sending
prayers for healing to recipients demonstrates a clear pathway for a healing effect
to happen.
Psycho-neuro-immunology is the science of
understanding how psycho-social factors in our lives (are we loved? do we
suffer discrimination? does our life have meaning, purpose, and hope, etc.)
affect the functioning of our immune system through connections with the brain.
So factors that affect our spirituality/spiritual wellbeing can influence our
immune systems. In this way mind (and all its internal and external influences)
and body are not separated, and we should speak of the mindbody.
The evidence base for supporting the positive
link between spirituality and health is mushrooming and no longer confined to
the palliative care situation with the terminally ill. HIV/Aids patients with
positive spiritual wellbeing have been shown to have maintained better
functioning immune systems than those without. If patients are struggling
spiritually, with life having lost meaning and hope prior to significant
cardiac surgery, they will not experience such a good surgical recovery and
outcome. Coronary artery stenting (keyhole opening up of blocked/narrowed
arteries) does not work so well in patients suffering from a sense of
hopelessness.
Even today most disease cannot be cured, so
“Health-Related Quality of Life” (HR-QoL) is becoming an important measure of
the effectiveness of treatment. Spiritual wellbeing has now been shown to be
strongly positively associated with HR-QoL, particularly with chronic long-term
conditions such as arthritis, and most cancers.
The Scottish Government has stated that
“...spiritual care is integral to the holistic care it provides.” With 60% of
patients who use the NHS being over the age of 60 years Faith in Older People has an important role to play in influencing
the NHS to care for their spiritual needs.
As the current financial restrictions impact on the NHS it is imperative
that we strive for spiritual care not to be neglected.
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