When faced with an unsolvable problem, people turn to God for help by engaging in various religious practices. Is this unnecessary? Or something that has an effect on us? In my view, practicing religious rituals can bring great relief to our minds. In this article,it is explained the scientific basis for such practices and their effect on our well-being.

Crystal Park, professor of psychology at the University of Connecticut, says the subject is  difficult to study. This is because people who engage in religious activities daily and who have good relationships with their family and others usually make the right decisions & stay away from unhealthy habits like heavy drinking, smoking and adultery meanwhile  the existence of various groups based on blind beliefs and their practices lead to a situation that is not favorable to wellbeing.  

Soothing, peaceful feeling and mental clarity are really positive aspects that are brought to us by  practicing religious rituals. It helps to make the right decisions and to live happily. Not only that, it can have a positive effect on our body. It helps to calm our heart beat and circulatory system and reduces stress. In our daily religious rituals, we establish a connection in our mind with a person (“The god”) or a thing (A natural energy) that is greater than ourselves.  It gives us a sense of purpose or meaning that goes beyond our daily activities. This is very important for emotional well-being.

Community-based activities such as the participation of Buddhists in devotional songs on Vesak days, and carol singing in Christians’ Christmas celebrations can have a positive impact on emotional health. Spiritual activities can provide a good environment for dealing with unexpected or negative events. For example, daily praying to God, chanting pirith, and meditation and engaging in religious activities  can help to prevent developing depression and anxiety after a loss of a loved one. 

Scientists are currently studying what kind of an effect that prayer has on our brain. This field is called "Neurotheology." According to these studies, the brain activity of the religious people and frequent meditators has been found to be different from that of other individuals. Andrew Newberg, a scientist at the University of Pennsylvania says, when engaging in meditation, pirith hearing, and prayers,the frontal lobes in the brain are highly functioning. The frontal lobes are the most prominent contributor to maintain attention and focus.  

The important thing is that the brain's lateral lobes are not functioning in this way during religious and spiritual activities. These lateral lobes are important for obtaining senses from the five senses and identifying the individual as “Me”. since then the person experiences the world from the point of “me” (oneself). Due to the high functioning of the frontal lobes and poor functioning of the lateral lobes during religious activities the individual is able to experience the world in general without the concept of "I" as a person. That means the person forgets about himself and starts to think as a living being. It enables you to look at the world without lust and greed,unselfishly and with compassion. 

In the research of Newberg, the brains of people of different religions have worked the same way. That’s why, "There is no Christian, no Jew, no Muslim, it's all one," Newberg says.

Being unselfish can make a person feel good about themselves and thereby boost self-esteem. Low self esteem leads to jealousy. The sense of security also contributes to our well-being. People become nervous when they feel insecure. The feeling of insecurity causes quarrels, poor interpersonal relationships and wrong habits. Spirituality and religious activities give us the sense of security as well. Thus, we can think that spiritual activities can have a profound effect on our well-being.

This is why you should be concerned about your spiritual well-being as you are concerned about your diet, your mental state and  your physical fitness.