Does prayer have any effect?
by The Quiet One 56 Replies latest jw experiences
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leavingwt
If you Google 'placebo effect', you will quickly learn how powerful our minds are.
In the words of George Costanza, "It's not a lie. . . if you believe it."
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Amelia Ashton
For those who believe in a sky daddy the power of prayer can give them a belief that they will achieve something they might think on their own is impossible but this belief can help them achieve their goal in the same way a placebo will alleviate certain symptoms. The power of the mind is amazing even to the point of fooling ourselves.
So yes, prayer can have an effect in that we can achieve more than we believe we are capable of on our own.
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N.drew
I do not have a personal example to give you.
Prayer has a positive effect. I think even atheists would agree. But I have heard that it might not be a good idea to say to some people "I will pray for you" as it might have a negative effect. I do not know if that is true, but I think I understand the psychology behind it.
Prayer is linked to hope. If someone hopes for something I believe it leads them toward the thing hoped for.
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leavingwt
"Placebos have been shown to work in about 30 percent of patients, and they've been used by doctors for ages. In fact, they were often the only thing that a doctor could offer to relieve suffering, other than his or her attention and support. Some researchers believe that placebos simply evoke a psychological response. The act of taking them gives you an improved sense of well-being. However, recent research indicates that placebos may also bring about a physical response."
http://health.howstuffworks.com/medicine/medication/placebo-effect.htm
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the-illuminator81
You can hand off a problem to someone else in prayer, even though the other person (God) does nothing about your problem, you still feel better because it's no longer your problem.
When you believe God is real, it also has the effect of talking to someone else who you feel understands your problems, which results in a positive emotion.
Furthermore it helps to focus your mind on something, like meditation, which can have a positive effect and can also cement something into your subconscious mind so it will resurface later. Like praying fervently to stop eating cookies, and then when you want to stuff one in your mouth, you think "oh yeah.. no more cookies today."
It can also be a planning tool by telling God what you did today and what you plan to do tomorrow.
It can help you sleep because you clear your mind and get mentally ready for bed.
It can help you gain the confidence to tackle a problem because you feel that someone is supporting you.
It can heighten your appreciation of something like food because you are more focused and thankful than when you just start eating.
Summarizing, it can be very helpful and God is not required, but in the end you are only fooling yourself.
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cantleave
Is someone says they will pray for me, I take it as a positive, they care and are thinking of me. I don't try and shatter their delusions.
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Londo111
I do have a personal Gideon-like experience from when I was a teenager. Unfortunately, I can't talk about it because I promised I wouldn't. I have broken my word on occasion and I felt bad every time. It could be he won't hold me to it, but I really don't want to go back on my word anymore unless I get the "all clear". But this is why I only went agnostic and not atheist when I was disfellowshipped, then gravitated back to Christianity after reading Crisis of Conscience. Thus, I still believed there is a Higher Power of some nature, and then came to realize that Christianity is a good frame of reference for me.
I really don't have all the answers…or even many of them, therefore, I am going to speculate a bit: I don't think we can expect miraculous or immediate answers to our problems in the material world. At least, not in this age. Prayer is foremost a method to develop our relationship with the Divine. Mostly, we will gain wisdom in the long run in answer. I believe God is interested in seeing us learn from our problems and is interested in seeing the solutions we come up with to them. He is interested in us developing empathy toward others and, as we come to our fellowman's aid, become the answer to their prayers. Though we may be caterpillars or cocoons at present, from an eternal viewpoint, we will emerge like butterflies. It might be really heretical to say this, but we might have "signed" up for this. We might have a goal we are here to fulfill. A miraculous escape would interfere with this.
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Londo111
Just wanted to add: I know I risk putting myself out there like this, especially among the evangelical nonbelievers. I will probably be called "crazy", but I am reasonably sane despite my Watchtower upbringing. I really wish there was more tolerance on JWN for both believers and nonbelievers.
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The Quiet One
Interesting responses from different points of view.. That's what we have here on Jwn, Londo, don't let anyone make you feel inferior. Thanks everyone.