Faith in God strengthens the psyche

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

If you believe in God, then any atheist can envy your mental health. This is the conclusion reached by scientist Dan Cohen from the University of Missouri in the United States. According to his data, regardless of religion, a believer usually turns out to be much calmer and more balanced than an atheist.

A few years ago, experts began to notice that believers are much better at coping with life's troubles, such as a divorce or the loss of their favorite job. On the whole, they are happier than atheists or agnostics.

Professor Cohen decided to dig deeper and observe how religious beliefs affect the psyche of people undergoing treatment for cancer, stroke, and spinal cord and brain injuries. As specified, the study, organized by the scientist, involved Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, Catholics and Protestants.

According to Cohen, doctors should pay attention to the results of his research when prescribing treatment and developing rehabilitation programs, taking into account the patient's religious beliefs.

As a result, experts found that, regardless of religion, the higher the level of spirituality was observed in the patient, the better his mental health was. In particular, participation in the religious activities of the community helped the subjects reduce levels of emotional instability, anxiety, and extraversion.

According to researchers, the positive impact of spirituality on the psyche is explained by the fact that participation in religious life helps people reduce their self-centeredness and develop a sense of selflessness and belonging not only to a wider circle of like-minded people, but to the entire universe, writes newsru.com.