The Biology of Belief Time magazine featured an article “The Biology of Belief” in their February 12, 2009 issue.  Some of the research findings are fascinating and support the growing body of scientific evidence that faith has a positive influence on health. Pray and meditate enough and your brain changes permanently. People who pray and meditate over a long period of time have thicker frontal lobes than those who don’t. More than 6000 studies have been published since 2000 on the effects of intercessory prayer to heal the sick. A University of Pittsburgh surgeon found that church attendance accounts for 2-3 additional years of life. Seventy-nine of the nation's 125 medical schools now offer courses on prayer and spirituality Now don’t read this blog and think Time magazine was pro-religion in this article. For every study showing that faith makes a difference they found a quote to neutralize it. Still the longer I am in health care and on my faith journey, the more I … [Read more...]