Talking to God boosts self-control and emotional stability, claims study

[Prunepicker]

From The Daily Mail Online
Praying helps people stay in control of their emotions and behaviour,
according to a new study.

People turn to prayer 'as a coping response to the high demands in life'
and are rewarded with increased strength and ability to resist temptation,
researchers said.

Previous findings have shown that when people try hard to control their
emotions and thoughts, the risk of aggressive outbursts and binge
drinking or eating rises.

But the latest study, by German psychologists at Saarland University and
the University of Mannheim, found that praying helps people maintain
self-control. <read more>

'A brief period of personal prayer buffered the self-control depletion
effect', wrote the team, whose findings are published in the Journal of
Experimental Social Psychology online.

[OKCisOK4me]

I don't think this study is going to make the atheist say "oh boy, I'm gonna start a prayin now".

[venture]

Objectively...how is it any different from inward meditation or self reflection? For every study there are 17 that will say otherwise and another 94 that differ from those. Faith is a tool, gift, what ever you want to call it that allows for people to handle difficult situations and to bring understanding to something they don't. It is very powerful and has helped many overcome their short comings, but it isn't the only option.

[TaoMaas]

Objectively...how is it any different from inward meditation or self reflection?

This reminds me of that quote from The Ruling Class:

"How do you know you're God?"

"Simple...when I pray to him, I find I am talking to myself."

[Bunty]

Then surely those who think they should keep people from getting abortions, marrying the same sex and seeing controversial plays need to pray more in order to gain more self control and emotional stability.

[Jim Kyle]

Then surely those who think they should keep people from getting abortions, marrying the same sex and seeing controversial plays need to pray more in order to gain more self control and emotional stability.

As one who sincerely believes in a higher Power and incomprehendible (at least at this time) truths, I agree completely. It's always been a paradox to me, how religious conservatives, spiritual descendants of the Puritans with their tight control of others' actions, can claim to believe in "free will" and at the same time try to deny others the chance to choose between what the conservatives believe to be good, and that which they believe to be evil. Without an opportunity to choose, what can be "free" about it?

That said, I have no objection to their attempts to convince everyone about what choice to make. I do oppose, totally, their attempts to remove any opportunity to choose.

[Prunepicker]

I don't think this study is going to make the atheist say "oh boy, I'm
gonna start a prayin now".

That isn't the gist or purpose of the article. And from what others have
posted so far, they missed it too.

[Dustin]

I wish god would've responded to my prayers when I was younger..

[Prunepicker]

Did anybody read the post? Obviously not. Why would anyone reply to
a post without reading it? Why would anyone want to be totally
uninformed before posting?

[CuatrodeMayo]

A thread on religion? What could possibly go wrong...

[Prunepicker]

A thread on religion? What could possibly go wrong...

Oh good grief, another post by someone who hasn't read the article. A
thread about religion? You've got to be kidding.

Why would anyone reply to something they haven't read.

[RadicalModerate]

As one who sincerely believes in a higher Power and incomprehendible (at least at this time) truths, I agree completely. It's always been a paradox to me, how religious conservatives, spiritual descendants of the Puritans with their tight control of others' actions, can claim to believe in "free will" and at the same time try to deny others the chance to choose between what the conservatives believe to be good, and that which they believe to be evil. Without an opportunity to choose, what can be "free" about it?

That said, I have no objection to their attempts to convince everyone about what choice to make. I do oppose, totally, their attempts to remove any opportunity to choose.

For what it is worth, Sir, that is one of the best, most concise, summaries of "the situation"/"dichotomy" I have ever encountered.
Thank you for that.

And from a Journalist rather than a Theologian.

Calvin may have been a harsh taskmaster and Chuck Swindoll a little too easy, yet between them exists the opportunity, in the words of that old Christian hymn, to "praise God from whom all blessings flow" regardless of race, creed or color and to be thankful and kind.

I think it has a lot to do with what used to be called "The Oklahoma Standard."

[GaryOKC6]

I do it every day and it definitely works for me. Thanks for sharing.

[Jim Kyle]

I wish god would've responded to my prayers when I was younger.

A wise man I once knew had this to say about that situation: "He answers every prayer -- but sometimes the answer is 'No'."

[Jim Kyle]

A thread on religion? What could possibly go wrong...

So refer to it as "meditation" if that's a less-loaded word.

Many years ago (in the late 60s), I read an article in Scientific American about the measured effects of "Teanscendental Meditation" (which some folk considered a fad or cult but which led the Fab Four to study with The Maharishi) on blood pressure. About the same time, my physician was recommending that I use a mantra to help control stress and tension.

When I investigated TM itself in response to these two events, it certainly seemed to have all the trappings of a cult -- but its primary practice of meditation did seem to have all the effects that Prunepicker's post mentioned. It's just barely possible that something is at work here that helps one cope with tension and stress, whether it's spiritual in nature or simply a response that's hard-coded into our individual nervous systems...

[catcherinthewry]

It's just barely possible that something is at work here that helps one cope with tension and stress, whether it's spiritual in nature or simply a response that's hard-coded into our individual nervous systems...

Or possibly a placebo effect.

[Jim Kyle]

Or possibly a placebo effect.

Could be -- but isn't that basically something hard-coded into our nervous systems, as I said?

[ThomPaine]

Too bad the extremists don't gain self control and emotional stability when they pray.

[kevinpate]

Or perhaps theirs is simply the reaction of some who are a tad spoiled not much liking it when, as Jim mentioned, it turns out the answer is no.

[Rover]

Too many people have an image of God as a vending machine...put in a prayer and out comes my favorable outcome. God speaks to all of us, but we don't all want to hear what HE has to say. We often don't even want to look for his answer (just a clue...it isn't necessarily in voices in your head.) If we hear HIS answer we might have to actually listen and follow. And that's hard.

[Rover]

Too bad the extremists don't gain self control and emotional stability when they pray.

Definition of "extremist" = someone I disagree with or who disagrees with me and lets me know about it. LOL

[Jim Kyle]

Definition of "extremist" = someone I disagree with or who disagrees with me and lets me know about it. LOL

No, rather: Someone who attempts to force me to comply with his/her ideas of correct behavior. Children often apply this definition to parents; some folk apply it to all forms of authority. Most, though, apply it only to those who exceed culturally defined limits.

[Prunepicker]

No, rather: Someone who attempts to force me to comply with his/her i
deas of correct behavior.

Much like tp.

[Rover]

No, rather: Someone who attempts to force me to comply with his/her ideas of correct behavior. Children often apply this definition to parents; some folk apply it to all forms of authority. Most, though, apply it only to those who exceed culturally defined limits.

Whose culture? Yours or mine? What is acceptable in some cultures is not acceptable in others. Whose norm has to be exceeded for it to be extremism? If I am a minority, is my view extremism if it differs from yours and I work to promote it?

We all try to force people to comply with OUR idea of correct behavior. We work to elect those who think like us and share our ideas of right and wrong. We lobby for laws that try to force behavior on others. We use all forms of social pressure to promote our ideas of order and justice. It happens every day.

[kelroy55]

Did anybody read the post? Obviously not. Why would anyone reply to
a post without reading it? Why would anyone want to be totally
uninformed before posting?

and that's stopped you when?