SPIRITUALITY AND HEALING

Course overview

Medicine and spirituality have been intertwined since the beginning of time. In primitive cultures, the medicine men or shamans were also the tribal spiritual guide. In the developed world even today, people consult their pastor or priest as well as their health care provider when sickness occurs. Clergy and health professionals work together to help people face illness, death and dying. This course on spirituality and healing describes the increased interest in the relationship between religious belief and health in the United States. In 2005, Newsweek polled 1,004 people concerning church attendance and only 44% responded that they attend church weekly. Head counts in churches estimate that the actual number in weekly church attendance is much lower. Nonetheless, personal spirituality and a connection to the Divine is thriving. The same Newsweek poll showed that 79% of Americans describe themselves as spiritual. As many health professionals can aver, prayer and spiritual belief can contribute to a positive outlook on life and overall good health. Even skeptics agree that spiritual beliefs can provide comfort to people who are ill. This course discusses the findings of scientific studies that link longevity, health and spirituality. While critics argue that current studies have faulty methodology, other researchers point out that prayer is a Divine and personal experience that is not scientifically measurable. Studies on the connection between prayer and health are inconclusive. The most controversy surrounds those studies on heart disease and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). This course will help the clinician understand the debate surrounding scientific studies on prayer. There is a detailed review on many different studies conducted on various health matters, such as heart disease, AIDS, depression and stress. The course also describes studies done on meditation and intercessory prayer. These studies are described in detail and offer critics responses yet allow the reader to determine the validity of the study. Upon completion of this course, the clinician will appreciate the role of prayer and spiritual beliefs in the lives of patients from all walks of life. The author offers that perhaps the medical community should stop asking if spiritual practice helps cure illness, but rather ask how health professionals can use spirituality to help treat their patients. This course offers a thorough knowledge of the latest theories and research concerning spirituality and its effect on health, which is essential for clinicians to effectively communicate and collaborate with other health care professionals.