The Conservative Cave
Interests => Religious Discussions => Topic started by: BlueStateSaint on December 16, 2010, 08:21:39 AM
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I found this on a summary from Vision To America. From . . . Fox News' site.
Prayer Relieves Mind in Many Ways, Study Finds
(http://images.foxnews.mobi/content/854/feed-4854/jaTVxY0djPS5KUE8yNgjkBw8Pd-150.JPEG)
Dec 14, 2010 9:04 AM EST
Getting on your knees and looking to the heavens may really bring comfort during tough times, new research finds.
This will come as no surprise to many Americans, as 75 percent say they pray on a weekly basis in order to manage hard situations, including illness, and emotions such as sadness and anger, according to the study researcher citing Pew Research Center data. And most Americans also think God is involved in their everyday lives and concerned with their personal well-being.
The new study aimed to find out how prayer leads to mental relief. Results suggested prayer can serve as a distraction and even as sort of a punching bag.
Always available
Lead researcher Shane Sharp, a graduate student studying sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, conducted in-depth interviews with 62 victims of violent relationships with intimate partners. Participants ranged in age from 19 to 72 (averaging 41) and represented a wide swath of the United States in geographic, educational and racial terms, with largely Christian backgrounds.
Results showed that in general that God or another figure from religion acted as a support system for the participants. The figure had certain perceived characteristics, such as being loving, powerful and caring, that influenced why participants sought him or her out. But unlike a flesh-and-blood shoulder to cry on or an abusive partner to rail at, God was available whenever and wherever the participant reached out, Sharp said.
The rest of it is here:
http://health.foxnews.mobi/quickPage.html?page=31737&external=622310.proteus.fma&pageNum=-1
I like it. Praying, which I don't do enough, has always given me comfort.
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Interesting. I'm not one for praying but I can completely understand why one would.
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I believe it. Prayer focuses the mind and forces you to calm down and center yourself while you petition or address God. Over time, enough of that can help a person learn how to calm and center more effectively, and retain that disposition while not in prayer.