Science Of Mind
Science of Mind
Center for Spiritual Living
315 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12206(click above for map)
MIND SCIENCE RESEARCH
Science of Mind/Religious Science is not only a spiritual teaching and philosophy. It is an empirical science (based only on anecdotal experiences rather than scientific research). When scientists conduct research using the “Scientific Method“ which is published in peer reviewed scientific journals, and which confirms spiritual hypotheses, it strengthens spiritual beliefs even more. This results in the reduction of the perceived separation between science and spiritual teachings. However, several studies are needed by different researchers before scientists can gain sufficient confidence in the results. The confidence of students of New Thought, nevertheless, remains firm with our faith in the Energy Force of Infinite Intelligence (or, if you prefer - God).
PLEASE NOTE: This page only includes research that has been
published in peer reviewed scientific journals.
CONTENTS
A. Spirituality
B. Prayer, Meditation, and Distant Healing
C. “Herd, Group, or Race Consciousness”
D. Optimists vs. Pessimists
E. Stress Reduction
F. Emotions
G. Health and Psychology
H. Consciousness
A. Spirituality
In a study published Feb. 16, 2007 in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association, Salvatore Giaquinto, MD, of the San Raffaele Pisana Rehabilitation Center in Rome, after evaluating 132 survivors of stroke (median age: 72) for anxiety and depression, found that higher anxiety and depression scores was associated with lower religious and spirituality beliefs. In other studies (see Sections F and G) reduced depression and anxiety has been shown to speed healing.
Further, the results of a study presented at the August 10-13, 2006 convention of the American Psychological Association shows that having positive spiritual thoughts appears to enhance a patient's recovery process, while negative spiritual views appear to hinder it. The researchers (from the Universities of Washington and of Connecticut) studied the religious coping styles of 309 subjects who underwent cardiac surgery at the University of Michigan Medical Center. They found that subjects who employed positive religious coping techniques experienced less anxiety and depression and more perceived social support than those who relied on negative religious coping mechanisms. The positive religious coping techniques included seeking religious support, bonding with others who share similar religious beliefs, and exercising forgiveness, among others. The negative religious coping styles included, but were not limited to, spiritual/religious discontent and doubt. The lead study author was Any L. Ai, PhD, of the University of Washington.
EDITOR'S NOTE: You won't find a spiritual teaching more positive than Science of Mind/Religious Science. Join us at the Center for Spiritual Living. It is likely that the people with stronger spiritual beliefs use practices such as prayer (or, as Religious Scientists, Spiritual Mind Treatments). See the next section.
B. Prayer, Meditation, and Distant Healing
Dr. John Austin published a study in the June 6, 2000 issue of the medical journal "Annals of Internal Medicine" which found that, out of 23 preliminary studies of various types of distant healing (including different forms of spiritual healing and noncontact Therapeutic Touch) 13 (57%) showed significantly positive results, 9 showed no significant difference, and only one resulted in a negative effect.
Similarly, Dr. Mitchell Krucoff published a research report in the summer, 2001 edition of the "American Heart Journal" that demonstrated the effectiveness of combining standard medical techniques with prayer, meditation, and other distant healing techniques on heart patients. The "MANTRA" study, which stands for "Monitoring & Actualization of Noetic Trainings" is being conducted by doctors of Duke University, Durham, NC. The "double blind" studies are being conducted by using these distant healing techniques with "controls" and without the knowlede of the heart patients. To date, patients that have received the distant healing techniques have had 50 to 100% fewer side effects.. These techniques are beginning to become accepted by mainstream medicine, with interest being expressed for further research by the National Institute of Health.
Further, Prayer seems to almost double the success rate of in vitro fertilization procedures that lead to pregnancy, according to a study carefully designed to eliminate bias. The findings, published in the September, 2001 issue of the "Journal of Reproductive Medicine," reveal that a group of women who had people praying for them had a 50 percent pregnancy rate compared to a 26 percent rate in the group of women who did not have people praying for them. In the study, lead by Rogerio Lobo, chairman of obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University's College of Physicians & Surgeons, none of the women undergoing the procedures knew about the praying.
Another study shows that key parts of the brain actually get thicker through the practice of meditation and that it may slow age related thinning of the frontal cortex. The study involved 20 people who practiced Buddhist Insight meditation for 40 minutes each day. The researchers speculate that other forms of meditation likely have a similar impact on brain structure, but that each tradition probably has a slightly different pattern of cortical thickening based on the specific mental exercises involved. The research, led by Sara Lazar, of Massachusetts General Hospital. (More detailed summary at http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/051111_medidate.html ). (ref. November, 2005, "NeuroReport.")
EDITOR'S NOTE: In addition to meditation, Religious Scientists use a more active (and quicker) form of effective meditation called Spiritual Mind Treatment, or Scientific Prayer. We know that the practice effects our lives in numerous positive ways. It is a form of distant healing, since you don’t need to touch, speak to, or be near the person you are healing.
C. “Herd, Group, or Race Consciousness”
As published in the January 13, 2000 New England Medical Journal, researchers found that students and teachers in a high school who suffered from actual physical ailments (including headaches, nausea, shortness of breath, and dizziness) were really suffering from "mass psychogenic illness." After exhaustive tests, no toxic compounds were found at the school. Contagious anxiety resulted from the belief that toxic compounds were present.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Science of Mind teaches that we can change our thoughts and thereby change our physical reality, including health, by tuning into the Infinite Intelligence inside us all. One way is with “Spiritual Mind Treatment” or affirmative (scientific) prayer. The opposite of this is also true. Mass hysteria, in this case, resulted in real health problems which were not based on truth.
D. Optimists vs. Pessimists
In the June, 1998 "Journal of Personality and Social Psychology" Dr. Suzanne Segerstrom (University of Kentucky) reported that immune cell activity of optimistic law students was significantly higher than that of their pessimistic colleagues. Immune cells help to thwart infection.
A related Dutch study of 545 men aged 64 to 84 found that, over 15 years of followup, optimism was associated with about a 50% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality. (ref. Giltay EJ, Kamphuis MH, Kalmijn S, Zitman FG, Kromhout D, Dispositional Optimism and the Risk of Cardiovascular Death: The Zutphen Elderly Study. Arch Intern. Med. 2006; 166:431436)
EDITOR'S NOTE: We know that studying Religious Science/Science of Mind is an effective and fun way to "change your thinking change your life." Now Science has proved it.
Every time we do a Spiritual Mind Treatment or affirmation, we are using more than optimism....we are using the KNOWING that our lives are already improved.
E. Stress Reduction
Dr. Herbert Benson of the Mind/Body Medical Institute showed how he used the "Relaxation Response" technique (which had been coined by him) to greatly reduce stress in patients, as measured by various instruments. The technique involves the repetition of the word "calm" with every breath. (Ref: "The Therapeutic Use of Relaxation Response in Stressrelated Diseases" Esch, T., Fricchione, G., Stefano, G. Medical Science Monitor. Vol. 9 No. 2: RA2334, 2003).
In a related study, a UCLA research team found that students who conducted the most positive affirmations before being subjected to stress experienced the lowest stress levels, as measured by before and after cortisol tests of their saliva. (ref. Creswell, Psychological Science, Nov. 2005, vol 16: pp 846852)
EDITOR'S NOTE: The heart of a Science of Mind Spiritual Mind Treatment is positive affirmations. If these techniques are combined with such Treatments, they can be even more powerful, since they add the vital spiritual connection with the Infinite Intelligence. In this way, the Law of Mind is used to actually manifest whatever is desired. Within a Spiritual Mind Treatment, I go one step further by visualizing my breathing in and absorbing whatever quality I want from the Infinite supply of Mind/God. If I want to treat another person, I can then visualize breathing the quality out to that person all within the five steps of a Treatment.
F. Emotions
Research conducted by Dr. Rollin McCraty, (et al) resulted in the finding that feelings change the shape of DNA. When 28 trained researchers placed their hands around (but not touching) vials of DNA while feeling gratitude, love, and appreciation, the DNA (to a statistically significant extent) relaxed and became longer. When they felt anger, fear, frustration, or stress, the DNA tightened up, shortened, and switched off many of the DNA codes. (McCraty, R., M. Atkinson, D. Tomasino, "Modulation of DNA Conformation by HeartFocused Intention," HeartMath Research Center, Pub. #03008, 2003, www.heartmath.org)
In a related study, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pa. found that people who scored high for positive emotional style in a survey were significantly more likely to resist colds and flu. 193 healthy adults got medical checkups and completed surveys on their emotional style. Positive emotionalstyle traits included being lively, happy, or calm. Negative traits included being tense, anxious, sad, depressed, angry, or hostile. They were then exposed to viruses that cause colds or flu. The participants were then quarantined for five to six days to see who got a cold or flu. (Cohen, S. Psychosomatic Medicine, November/December 2006; vol 68: pp 809815).
EDITOR'S NOTE: This research shows what Religious Scientists already know....that thought is energy that can change living matter and therefore affect our health and the health of others.
G. Health and Psychology
Doctors who say, "This won't hurt a bit" before a painful prod or poke may be delivering a dose of pain reliever with their words. A new study suggests that low expectations about impending pain can actually lower a person's perception of it. Positive expectations about lower pain produced about a 28 percent decrease in pain ratings (measured by an MRI) equal to a shot of morphine," says researcher Tetsuo Koyama, MD, PhD, of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. Three levels of heat pain were applied to volunteers while their brains were scanned with an MRI after being told (sometimes incorrectly) of the expected intensity of the pain. (ref. Koyama, T. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Sept. 6, 2005; vol 102: pp 1295012955)
In a related study, patients will feel better if they believe they're taking painkillers even if their doses contain no medication, according to a University of Michigan study. The study, examining the placebo effect (published in the fall/winter of 2005 in the Journal of Neuroscience) showed, for the first time, that the brain releases chemicals (endorphins) that relieve pain in patients who believe they're being treated. Researchers say the findings could lead to new ways to treat chronic pain. Dr. JonKar Zubieta, associate professor at the Michigan Medical School, said "The mindbody connection is quite clear."
EDITOR'S NOTE: Using the mind/Mind connection to cure the body is not new to Religious Scientists. By means of the tools Spiritual Mind Treatment, affirmation, meditation, and other techniques, we tap into the Healing Power of the Universe to know that we are already healed.
H. Consciousness
Max Planck, the father of quantum theory, stated, in his 1918 Nobel Prize acceptance speech, that there is no such thing as matter. He believed that all matter comes into being and exists only because there is a force behind it, and that behind this force is consciousness itself an intelligent Mind.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Another term for that Mind is “Infinite Intelligence” or “God.” Science of Mind believes that our minds are a part of that Mind, and that we can tap into that Mind to enhance our lives, the lives of others, and the planet.
