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Prayer prevented Frances Johansson from contracting rabies, she says.

The first thing she did after shaking a rabid fox off her left leg outside her Averill Park home was drive to her pastor's house at St. Henry's parish. He brought her to the hospital, where doctors sewed her up and vaccinated her against rabies.

But Ms. Johansson believes it was the intercession of fellow parishioners at Mass and her strong faith that saved her from the deadly virus.

"I believe in a loving God, and I certainly believe in the healing power of Jesus Christ," she explained.

Religious people often credit prayer or other spiritual practices with bringing them back from the brink of death or helping them through an emotional rough patch. Some might be surprised to learn that, to a certain extent, science proves them right.

In his recent book, "How God Changes Your Brain," author Andrew Newberg found that even contemplating God can change and enhance the neural functioning of the brain.

Spiritual practices like meditation and praying the Rosary go one step further by improving memory, reducing stress and depression and helping people cope with chronic conditions or overcome addictions and bad habits.

Those who regularly attend religious services live longer and suffer fewer health problems, reported Dr. Newberg, who drew his conclusions from scores of scientific studies.

Weekly church attendance decreases risk of stroke, but not of heart attack, he found; conversely, infrequent or no attendance is associated with increased risk of death from circulatory, digestive and respiratory disorders.

Over recent decades, a growing body of research has established other health benefits, as well.

The Evangelist conducted an informal written and online survey of 50 Catholics in the Albany Diocese. A majority of participants agreed that spiritual practices have improved their physical health, helped them heal from an injury or illness and helped them cope with a chronic illness.

Some described their illnesses - a spinal cord injury, a scratched cornea, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and kidney failure, for instance - and how God helps them persevere.

That hits home for Mercy Sister Mary Angeline Mastro, who is 89. Two decades ago, she was stricken by myasthenia gravis, a neuromuscular disorder characterized by weakness of voluntary muscles.

She struggled to swallow and keep her eyelids open, sometimes resorting to using adhesive tape. For seven weeks, she breathed with the aid of a respirator.

She drew strength from God.

"It was my faith that made [the illness] not be fatal," Sister Mary Angeline asserted. "I was always positive. I never thought I would not get better."

The experience gave her peace. God "taught me a lot by having me endure this," she said. "It came through to me that God would not leave me alone in this situation."

Sister Mary Angeline prays all day, starting at 6 a.m., and works in the library at the Convent of Mercy motherhouse in Albany. She retired from a life of teaching just four years ago.

In the aftermath of her illness and with more time for devotion, she said, "Now I'm in so much peace."

In our survey, every respondent agreed religion helps to curb feelings of depression and anxiety. One explained that God often carries the burden of depression for people; another feels comforted that God is in control and does what is best for people.

Yet another person wrote, "Faith gives me resources and community, as well as a way of living that helps with these things," adding that faith doesn't completely eliminate depression and anxiety.

Alicia Steele, a parishioner at St. Mary's Church in Glens Falls, has struggled with mental illness for 30 years. At one point, doctors doubted she would progress.

Mass, daily Rosaries and belief in saints have kept her grounded, she told The Evangelist: "I think that prayer brings peace, and the more you understand yourself, the more you can start where you can and try to get back to whatever you need to do.

"Your faith can be a very healing part of your life. I do need to keep going. Life is meant to make the most of your blessings."

Survey respondents largely agreed that faith can help people overcome addictions or habits. With the help of prayer, four people said they kicked a smoking habit, one stopped drinking and three overcame eating disorders.

Dr. Newberg offered this caveat to his research: The way in which we view God might affect our well-being. Belief in a loving God can improve or even prolong our lives; but belief in a judgmental, authoritarian God can produce fear, anger and stress.

This might happen to those preoccupied with guilt or resentment toward clergy, he said.

The impression of a frightening, punitive God can involve overstimulation in the amygdala, a part of the brain that can suppress the frontal lobe's ability to logically think about God, the scientist found.

Many survey respondents skipped The Evangelist's question about an authoritarian God, noting that they didn't believe this properly describes God. Those who did answer, for the most part, said such a belief does not cause stress, fear or anger.

Perhaps the consensus of the respondents is best summed up by this statement from one survey participant: "The more I understand the Holy Scripture, the more my faith is strengthened in God's caring love under all circumstances."

(12/02/10) [[In-content Ad]]

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