NPR: According to a Renowned Ivy League Researcher, Spirituality Positively Impacts Mental Health

Professor Lisa Miller has dedicated a significant portion of her career to studying neuroscience and spirituality. She believes that each person is capable of finding their own meaning, whether through religious principles, nature, or spiritual connections. According to Miller, having a spiritual life can improve mental health. In her book, “The Awakened Brain,” she makes bold claims about how spiritual beliefs can reduce anxiety and depression and promote happiness. Although it is difficult for some to understand how spirituality can scientifically affect health, Miller shared a story that demonstrated its impact. After facilitating a Yom Kippur ceremony at a mental health facility, she witnessed the patients experiencing a sense of freedom and liberation from their suffering. This led Miller to explore the relationship between spirituality and mental health, despite initial skepticism from her peers. Using nationally representative samples and gold standard methods, Miller found that personal spirituality significantly decreased the risk of addiction and depression. These findings remained consistent even when controlling for other factors like social support and resources. MRI studies conducted with individuals from different faith traditions revealed a common neuro seat associated with transcendent perception. Miller used specific prompts and recorded participants sharing their spiritual experiences, which were then played back to them while inside the MRI scanner. This experiment demonstrated the impact of spirituality on brain activity.

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