1. What Prayer Does for Your Brain  Arlene R. Taylor PhD www.arlenetaylor.org Brain References

2. Prayer is a form of meditation; the frontal cortex lights up during meditation —Candace B. Pert PhD Your Body is Your Subconscious Mind Prayer Definitions  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Prayer is a universal being-and-not-doing phenomenon and an attitude of the heart; a person’s own belief can strengthen the effect of his/her prayers —Larry Dossey MD Prayer is Good Medicine

3. There is a difference between active prayer and meditation (you focus on a specific thought) versus passive prayer and meditation (you try to clear the mind of thought) meditation Active focused contemplation or prayer and meditation triggers a slightly different brain pattern as compared to passive meditation — Newberg, Andrew MD, Why God Won’t Go Away Focused vs Passive  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc

4. Prayer Types  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Ritual – Rosary, Book of Common Prayer Extemporaneous – Composed on the spot Reciting - The Lord’s Prayer Petitional – Requesting a favor for yourself Intercessory – Requesting a favor for another Colloquial – Asking guidance or forgiveness Thanksgiving – Giving thanks, praising

5. Prayer Types, Cont’d  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Meditative – Pondering, contemplating, meditating, thinking about spiritual things, and listening Studies have indicated that personal meditative prayer provides the greatest personal benefits I've seen prayers answered but often, in my experience, if you get what you pray for, you've really shortchanged yourself  Anne Lamott

6. Spoken or Sung  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc When prayers are sung, the brain becomes highly engaged as singing can stimulate all divisions of the cerebrum or neocortex Prayers that are spoken aloud stimulate more of the brain Reading aloud is so stimulating it is considered an anti-aging strategy (write out a prayer and then read it aloud)

7. Neurotheology  Arlene R. Taylor PhD www.arlenetaylor.org Dr. Newberg is a founder of the field of Neurotheology  the study of the relationship between the brain and spiritual or religious phenomena He has studied more than 150 brain scans to observe changes in the brain that occur during different types of prayer, meditation, and religious practices  Andrew Newberg, MD How God Changes Your Brain

8. Neurotheology, Cont’d  Arlene R. Taylor PhD www.arlenetaylor.org Many studies have shown that when you prayers for others can benefit them—especially if they believe in prayer and know you are praying for them However, the greatest benefits of prayer and meditation likely accrues to the person doing the praying If you are praying, you may benefit the most...

9. Different types of meditation and prayer affect different parts of the brain differently—each appears to beneficially impact neurological function, physical, and emotional health Can increase blood flow to frontal, parietal, temporal, and limbic areas Can decrease metabolic activity May trigger deafferentation (pain relief) —Andrew Newberg MD How God Changes Your Brain Prayer Benefits #1  Arlene R. Taylor PhD www.arlenetaylor.org

10. Prayer Benefits #2  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Prayers that focus on gratitude, celebration, or a positive vision of the future (as well as rejecting anger and resentment) have been found to: Increase compassion Reduce depression and anxiety Relieve stress Lower blood pressure and heart rate And eventually extend life

11. Prayer Benefits #3  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Studies have shown that prayer can be effective, directed and non-directed, local and non-local Nothing seemed capable of blocking prayer, even a lead-lined room Prayer positively affects high blood pressure, heart attacks, wound healing, headaches, and anxiety —Larry Dossey, MD Prayer is Good Medicine, Healing Words

12. Meditation and prayer are excellent brain-power boosters as they battle stress (e.g., promote synchronized brain rhythms and reduce levels of stress hormone) They give you some control over the way in which your brain ages —Kenneth Giuffre MD The Care and Feeding of Your Brain Prayer Benefits #4  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc

13. Prayer Benefits #5  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Prayer can be viewed as one of the ultimate activities of the frontal lobes of the cerebrum or neocortex, the 3 rd layer brain layer —Neil Nedley MD, Proof Positive

14. Prayer Benefits #6  Arlene R. Taylor PhD www.arlenetaylor.org Reflecting on a scriptural passage, envisioning God in a positive way, or saying a prayer that has special meaning for you can enhance your memory Study participants who prayed and / or reflected in a quiet, comfortable place for at least twelve (12) minutes each day, experienced significant improvements in their memory

15. Meditation (prayer is a form of meditation) can enhance one’s ability to communicate with the self; this can be helpful in working through negative feelings and in the healing of illnesses —Claire Sylvia, A Change of Heart Together your brain and immune organs constitute the most amazing healing system in the world—in most cases if you get sick and if you get well, this system heals you Prayer Benefits #7  Arlene R. Taylor PhD www.arlenetaylor.org

16. Brain Regions  Arlene R. Taylor PhD www.arlenetaylor.org There isn’t just one part of the brain or body that is the spiritual center of who human beings are; instead, the whole ‘self’ seems to be deeply affected by spiritual and religious ideas and practices Specific areas of the brain, however, are distinctly affected by prayer and other religious experiences

17. Brain Regions #1  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Influenced by prayer Frontal lobes - Help you to plan, focus your attention, speak, reason, understand grammar and syntax, and move voluntarily They handle executive functions that include morality, goal-setting, conscience, willpower, and decision-making 

18. Brain Regions #1, Cont’d  Arlene R. Taylor PhD www.arlenetaylor.org Activities that engage the frontal lobes protect against age-related deterioration (shrinkage) that is associated with loss of memory, overall loss of mental functioning, and dementia Prayer, if done regularly for at least 12 minutes daily, may slow the age-related decline of the frontal lobes 

19. Brain Regions #2  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Influenced by religious experiences Anterior Cingulate Forms a ‘collar’ around the front of the Corpus Callosum, the largest band of horizontal connecting fibers between hemispheres It is involved with decision-making, emotion, and empathy 

20. Brain Regions #2, Cont’d  Arlene R. Taylor PhD www.arlenetaylor.org The anterior cingulate is activated when you feel compassion for others; when you are aware of the feelings of others and empathize with them Prayer increases activity in this area, considered to be the ‘neurological heart,’ the part of the brain that most clearly distinguishes humans from animals 

21. Brain Regions #3  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Influenced by religious experiences Parietal Lobes Integrate sensory information, particularly determining spatial sense and navigation Are activated when you sense yourself as separate from other things in the world; distinguish yourself from others 

22. Brain Regions #3, Cont’d  Arlene R. Taylor PhD www.arlenetaylor.org Parietal lobes are deactivated during religious experiences (e.g., singing hymns and saying group prayers at a church service) You temporarily lose some sense of isolation and individuality, which enables you to feeling more ‘at one’ with God, and enhances a sense of unity with members of a congregation or with all humanity or the universe at large 

23. Brain Regions #4  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Influenced by prayer Parts of the 1 st and 2 nd brain layers Involves the hippocampus, the amygdala, the stress responses (fight-or-flight), emotional impulses, and reactivity These areas are activated when you experience anger, resentment, or pessimism, which reduces your regard for others and deactivates compassion 

24. Brain Regions #4, Cont’d  Arlene R. Taylor PhD www.arlenetaylor.org Prayer can deactivate these areas, reducing stress and anxiety, and bringing about a sense of comfort Prayer can prevent the protective emotions (anger, fear, sadness) in right hemisphere and 1 st and 2 nd brain layers from becoming activated and can turn on the positive emotion of joy that appears to be aligned with the left hemisphere 

25. Puzzling …  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Growing up, what was puzzling for you about prayer? For me it was: ‘Pray without ceasing’ Prayer does not demand that we interrupt our work but that we continue working as if it were a prayer ―Mother Teresa

26. How Much Prayer?  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc The degree to which prayer enhances the brain depends upon how long and how often you pray While a few minutes of occasional prayer may not bring about significant improvements, studies have shown that more frequent prayers for longer periods of time will produce tangible benefits to brain and body (e.g., 12 minutes a day)

27. Bottom Line  Arlene R. Taylor PhD www.arlenetaylor.org No two brains are ever identical in structure, function, perception, or approach to prayer (a form of meditation)  Prayer is a personal journey so give up all expectations of praying in a style that works for others but maybe not for you  Find your own prayer path, one that works for you, and make it part of your high-level-healthiness lifestyle  because it matters to your brain...