Prayer and the Brain

"Praying involves the deeper parts of the brain: the medial prefrontal cortex and the posterior cingulate cortex — the mid-front and back portions," says Dr. David Spiegel, associate chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and medical director of the center for integrative medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine. "These parts of the brain are involved in self-reflection and self-soothing."

Prayer and Meditation assist us with looking inwardly to self-reflect and to soothe. Self-reflection is when we think about our character, our thoughts, our motives. It’s a deeper evaluation of why we say or do things.

Prayer and Meditation are both effective in decreasing our responsiveness to trauma and/or negative events and cycles that have taken place in marriage, family, work, or life itself. Coupled together, positive directed Prayer and Meditation can assist individuals in overcoming compulsions and addictions. They are powerful tools to also assist us with looking outwardly, we can focus our thoughts on something outside ourselves, something far greater than human beings. We can focus on the Higher, on God, on Peace, on Serenity! Our central nervous system can become ultra-activated when we become stressed, especially with current events. Our bodies then shift to modes known as “Fight, Flight or Fright” response. We are either inclined to Stay still, resist, or run. This can cause us to become temporarily discombobulated, or it can cause our thinking to be less potent with the realities of the state of our existence. The results can range from making poor decisions to absolute self-destruction. But, through Prayer and Meditation, good hormones can be activated and released in the brain to change our behavior. This has been scientifically proven.

Be Vulnerable when Praying and Meditating. Find a quiet place right now to sit in a comfortable position and Close Your Eyes. Take a deep breath and slowly release it. Breathe in again even slower…one, two, three, four; and release, one, two, three, four. Repeat this step three times before doing anything else. Feel the rhythm of your heart as it synchronizes in harmony with your mind. Relax.

Be Truthful with Yourself when Praying and Meditating. Say to Yourself, “I am/was hoping for ____. I am really hurting because of _______. I need support from ______. Make your affirmations and positively do something about them, figure out a solution.

Prayer and Meditation allow us to make an intentional, conscious, act to create the habit of looking internally, then externally to find Balance, Peace, and Resolve. We can regain our Footage and become Stable. Meditation allows us to silence everything around us to hear, and Prayer allows us to listen and speak so that the silence can be heard. We are ignited to action.