"Every meticulous scientist must naturally have some kind of religious feeling, for he cannot suppose that the extremely subtle dependencies he envisions were thought of for the first time by him. In the incomprehensible universe, an unlimited reason reveals itself..." (Albert Einstein).
Today we will talk about faith. Faith related to belief in God or something greater. Faith that contributes to spiritual well-being. Faith that helps so many sick people to have hope. Faith that encourages people to remain steadfast in their life purpose. That gives a new meaning to life.
A survey conducted in 23 countries with nearly 19,000 people by the market research company Ipsos, commissioned by the news agency Reuters, showed that 51% of respondents believe in a "divine entity," while 18% do not believe and 17% are unsure. Brazil ranks 3rd in the list of countries with the highest number of faithful people, with 84% of Brazilians surveyed claiming to believe in God or some supreme being (1).
Many may think: "But why talk about faith, when there are so many who do not believe?" Because even if for some the spiritual aspect has no meaning, for many it is an indispensable condition for remaining happy and perseverant. Faith, besides being a personal phenomenon, is also a sociological and historical phenomenon, as Jung addressed in his book titled "Psychology and Religion" (2).
If there is a condition in which many people regain belief and trust in something greater, partly to seek relief from suffering, partly to seek hope, this condition is illness. If we search the research databases, we will see that there are several studies and reviews on faith, spirituality, and religiosity involving improvement in living conditions during the treatment of cancer patients and other chronic-degenerative diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. There is evidence that spiritual practices promote mental, physical, and even social support for patients in these chronic conditions (3).
A review of patients who survived breast cancer, based on research published between 1994 and 2004, showed that spirituality promotes strength to cope with the disease, social support, increases the need to care and be cared for, and brings people closer to God (4). When well directed, spirituality can positively influence outcomes throughout the treatment journey of this disease. This is one of the conclusions of a study on the implementation of spirituality and religiosity during cancer treatment as a factor of holistic care (5).
It is interesting to show that it is not only the faith of the patient themselves that promotes improvements in their treatment and quality of life, but also the faith of those who, out of altruism, are willing to intercede for them. A double-blind, randomized study conducted in Australia, at a cancer treatment center, measured the impact of intercessory prayer on the spiritual well-being of patients undergoing treatment. This study involved 999 patients, 66% of whom completed it. The results showed that patients who received prayer indeed had better scores on the scale that assessed their spiritual well-being and quality of life (6).
A qualitative study conducted with 47 Latina women, in six focus group sessions lasting one and a half hours each, aimed at evaluating the relationship between spirituality and overall health, showed that spirituality was expressed as a vital component for health. The women who participated in the study stated that for them, balance between physical, mental, and spiritual health is necessary (7).
In light of recent publications on this topic and the importance that the spiritual dimension assumes in the lives of so many people, it is necessary for the government, health institutions, and companies seeking to promote well-being to foster spiritual practices for those who seek them and incorporate them into their daily lives. Especially in Brazil, a country where there are so many people of faith, it would be interesting to have, in all public and private institutions, a calm and quiet environment where each person can retreat and pray, if desired.
Would this be utopia? It doesn't hurt to imagine and believe in the possibility. After all: "I will walk with faith, for faith does not usually fail," paraphrasing Gilberto Gil.
In the next post, we will discuss spirituality related to happiness and well-being. Until then!
References
http://g1.globo.com/mundo/noticia/2011/04/brasil-e-3o-pais-onde-mais-se-cre-em-deus-em-pesquisa.html;
JUNG, Carl Gustav, Psychology and Religion. Rio de Janeiro: Vozes, 1978, p.6;
UNANTENNE N, WARREN N, CANAWAY R, MADERSON L. The Strength to Cope: Spirituality and Faith in Chronic Disease. J Relig Health. Nov 16, 2011;
GIBSON LM; HENDRICKS CS. Integrative review of spirituality in African American breast cancer survivors. ABNF J., 17 (2): 67-72, 2006;
RICHARDSON P. Assessment and implementation of spirituality and religiosity in cancer care: effects on patient outcomes. Clin J Oncol Nurs. Aug; 16 (4), 2012;
OLVER IN; DUTNEY A. A randomized, blinded study of the impact of intercessory prayer on spiritual well-being in patients with cancer. Alter Ther Health Med. Sep-Oct 18 (5):18-27, 2012;
JURKOWSKI JM, KURLANSKA C, RAMOS BM. Latino Women’s Spiritual Beliefs Related to Health. Am J Health Promot. Sep-Oct, 25(1):19-25, 2010.
