Testing Prayer

Testing Prayer
Author: Candy Gunther Brown
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Total Pages: 385
Release: 2012-05-14
Genre: Health & Fitness
ISBN: 0674064860

In Candy Gunther Brown's view, science cannot prove prayer's healing power, but what scientists can and should do is study prayer's measurable effects on health. If prayer benefits, even indirectly, then more careful attention to prayer practices could impact global health, particuarly in places without access to conventional medicine.

The Illusion of God's Presence

The Illusion of God's Presence
Author: John C. Wathey
Publisher: Prometheus Books
Total Pages: 464
Release: 2016
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1633880745

An essential feature of religious experience across many cultures is the intuitive feeling of God's presence. More than any rituals or doctrines, it is this experience that anchors religious faith, yet it has been largely ignored in the scientific literature on religion.Starting with a vivid narrative account of the life-threatening hike that triggered his own mystical experience, biologist John Wathey takes the reader on a scientific journey to find the sources of religious feeling and the illusion of God's presence. His book delves into the biological origins of this compelling feeling, attributing it to innate neural circuitry that evolved to promote the mother-child bond. Dr. Wathey argues that evolution has programmed the infant brain to expect the presence of a loving being who responds to the child's needs. As the infant grows into adulthood, this innate feeling is eventually transferred to the realm of religion, where it is reactivated through the symbols, imagery, and rituals of worship. The author interprets our various conceptions of God in biological terms as illusory supernormal stimuli that fill an emotional and cognitive vacuum left over from infancy. These insights shed new light on some of the most vexing puzzles of religion, like the popular belief in a god who is judgmental and punishing, yet also unconditionally loving; the extraordinary tenacity of faith; the greater religiosity of women relative to men; religious obsessions with sex; the mysterious compulsion to pray; the seemingly irrepressible feminine attributes of God, even in traditionally patriarchal religions; and the strange allure of cults. Finally, Dr. Wathey considers the hypothesis that religion evolved to foster reproductive success, arguing that, in an age of potentially ruinous overpopulation, magical thinking has become a luxury we can no longer afford, one that distracts us from urgent threats to our planet.Deeply researched yet elegantly written in a jargon-free and accessible style, this book presents a compelling interpretation of the evolutionary origins of spirituality and religion.

Fingerprints of God

Fingerprints of God
Author: Barbara Bradley Hagerty
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 340
Release: 2009
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9781594488771

Articles about research on spirituality and the brain are usually written from the point of view that religious experience can be understood from a purely scientific perspective. Hagerty's (religion correspondent, NPR) book does not have this naturalistic or materialistic tendency. Rather, as both a reporter and a religious person, she seeks insight on spirituality and science while being open to the possibility that spirituality may still have a transcendent component. The book is interesting to read because the author has interviewed many scientists as well as many people who attest to having mystical or near-death experiences. In a way, the reader feels like a participant in Hagerty's own encounter with the various pieces of information and evidence, struggling with her to make sense of it all. Highly recommended.John Jaeger, Dallas Baptist Univ. Lib. Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Divine Science

The Divine Science
Author: Samael Aun Weor
Publisher: Glorian Publishing
Total Pages: 163
Release: 2013-05
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 1934206407

For thousands of years the great spiritual adepts from all corners of the globe have guarded the secret teachings enclosed in this book. Now, we are able to receive these teachings so that we too may be able to cultivate the high spiritual levels that have been lost for ages. The Divine Science is the systematic and exact process of the discovery of the mystical capabilities of the human soul. In all ancient religions and cultures the wise men and women used sacred words, the intonations of mantras, and the use of the magical art of Theurgy (mysticism or white magic). This book is filled with direct instruction and practices that anyone can use in order to discover the depth of authentic mysticism.

The Psychology of Prayer

The Psychology of Prayer
Author: Bernard Spilka
Publisher: Guilford Press
Total Pages: 242
Release: 2012-09-01
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 146250695X

Reviewing the growing body of scientific research on prayer, this book describes what is known about the behavioral, cognitive, emotional, developmental, and health aspects of this important religious activity. The highly regarded authors provide a balanced perspective on what prayer means to the individual, how and when it is practiced, and the impact it has in people's lives. Clinically relevant topics include connections among prayer, coping, and adjustment, as well as controversial questions of whether prayer (for oneself or another) can be beneficial to health. The strengths and limitations of available empirical studies are critically evaluated, and promising future research directions are identified.

The Life of Prayer in a World of Science

The Life of Prayer in a World of Science
Author: Rick Ostrander
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 248
Release: 2000-11-02
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0190285753

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Christians carried on an intense debate concerning the doctrine of prayer. This ideological revolution affected not only the ways that they interpreted the Bible but also how they prayed. In this book, Rick Ostrander explores the attempts of American Christians to articulate a convincing and satisfying ethic of prayer amidst these changing circumstances.

Scientific and Pastoral Perspectives on Intercessory Prayer

Scientific and Pastoral Perspectives on Intercessory Prayer
Author: Larry Van De Creek
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 131
Release: 2013-10-23
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 131797123X

Many people agree that prayer is a central feature of spiritual life. But what is prayer? Scientific and Pastoral Perspectives on Intercessory Prayer: An Exchange Between Larry Dossey, MD, and Health Care Chaplains explores common questions and concerns about intercessory prayer, or the act of praying for the benefit of others, from several different points of view. Chaplains, priests, ministers, and clergy in the health care profession will learn how prayer is examined from sources other than traditional Christian views, such as parapsychology. From Scientific and Pastoral Perspectives on Intercessory Prayer, you will learn what prayer means to some chaplains and to their ministry and how prayer can make drastic changes in the lives of your parishioners, patients, and their families. Written by eight chaplains, the articles in this text are in response to an essay by Larry Dossey, a nationally known physician who speaks and writes about prayer. The contributors to Scientific and Pastoral Perspectives on Intercessory Prayer discuss his points of view on intercessory prayer, which are based on quantum physics. You will learn if this area of physics can make a difference in how you practice your faith, how you worship, and what you think about or expect from prayer. Scientific and Pastoral Perspectives on Intercessory Prayer examines several other topics related to prayer, including: discovering whether or not intercessory prayer is truly different from other methods of meditation exploring the relationship between intercessory prayer and meditative or praise prayer linking prayers and their results to the expectations or intentions of those who engage in them differentiating between an intercession and a wish deciding for yourself what constitutes evidence or proof when discussing the aspects of prayer how our opinion of prayer relates to how we think about the universe and about God Since Scientific and Pastoral Perspectives on Intercessory Prayer focuses on the cooperation between science and theology, you will discover that, in many instances, people believe that the power of prayer should be taken seriously. This text also shows you how the questions and functions of prayer are shared by everyone, despite religious differences or methods of praying. Encompassing research and personal experiences, Scientific and Pastoral Perspectives on Intercessory Prayer will help you answer questions about religion and its role in the lives of parishioners, patients, and clergy, as well as provide you with evidence to the positive and healing power of prayer.