Belief and Mental Health
- Thread starter Snoopy
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Veracity full stop; I was trying to simply emphasise putting the issue of 'veracity' aside and concentrating instead on the possible effects of belief on one's mental well-being. So I was not asking about myself or anyone else believing in anything, simply wondering about the relationship between good mental health and belief. Sorry if I misled.
IowaGuy
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OK, no worries. Assuming you are talking about religious beliefs, In my experience, the biggest bennie in a strong religious belief system is something to hold onto when times get tough. There are also peripheral benefits such as being a part of a religious community (who embrace your shared beliefs) that improve mental health.
For example, I know a 30-something mom in a small community nearby that has cancer. She is part of a large Catholic church, and at a recent dinner & fundraiser for her medical expenses, 800 people turned out. That's 10% of the entire community! That had to be a huge uplift in an otherwise tough situation.
Example #2, my old Southern Baptist church used to have a "prayer circle," where when someone was sick or otherwise in need, people would start praying for them. You would receive a phone call descibing the situation and asking you to pray, and then you would have to call 2 more people that were next on the prayer circle list. While this admitedly seems a little corny if you're not a bible-thumper, it was a huge mental boost for whomever "needed" the prayers. Somehow just knowing a couple hundred people are praying for you, thinking of you, and wishing you the best brightens your day. It employs the "power of positive thinking," somewhat like a placebo effect.
Those of us that choose not to follow a particular dogma have to figure a lot out for ourselves throughout life, which can be mentally exhausting and stressful during life's tough times. And we have to work harder to be a part of a community since we don't have an "instant" church family.
We have all read studies suggesting a correlation between religious beliefs and happiness. I have also seen studies suggesting a correlation between non-theism and depression. There are many variables at play and I don't know if there is causation there or not, but it's interesting to ponder. For this reason I would never want to "take away" someone's religious faith by proselitizing my agnosticism unless they were questioning their own beliefs... (vs. the atheists that many of us have known that will try to convince any religious "believer" that they are "wrong")
Personally, since I don't have the religion advantage for mental health, I focus on maximizing the other variables that bring me happiness and mental well-being: daily exercise, time alone in nature, family, friends, meaningful/fulfilling career, volunteerism/community involvement, intellectual stimulation, art/creativity, and healthy eating. For me, religious belief is but a small part of my overall mental health. My Christian sister would argue that it is the core of her existence.
What type of beliefs did you witness at the funeral that provided food for thought?
free country, we are not nazi germany believeing in good things isnt a crime so what treatment are you talking about?
1. Do we live in the same country?
2. What's with Godwin's Law suddenly please?
3. What treatments? Where have I referred to treatments? (my text you've quoted does not and this is a lomg thread).
@IG
I don't find non theism stressful but the absence of a group does rather throw oneself into sharp relief. And yes there are studies of happiness and religious belief but as you say correlation is not causation. Similarly obviously religious belief can be a tool of suffering in the wrong hands. Personally I cannot subscribe to something for alleged effects if I find the underlying premise unconvincing.
You seem to have got your head screwed on pretty well
I don't find non theism stressful but the absence of a group does rather throw oneself into sharp relief. And yes there are studies of happiness and religious belief but as you say correlation is not causation. Similarly obviously religious belief can be a tool of suffering in the wrong hands. Personally I cannot subscribe to something for alleged effects if I find the underlying premise unconvincing.
You seem to have got your head screwed on pretty well
Yes we do , and arent all the laws well most them based on good morals. I personally believe the only well known law that shouldnt be legal is abortion. Its barbaric and should never be a choice no matter what. Life begins at conception. However the other laws we have are based on moral values. If you murder someone its against the law, if you hit someone its against the law....get it. I will not demonize people and I definately wont demonize my country.
I will not participate in the demonzation of any body.
Knowledge....love compassion kindness , understanding healing. During wwii a disease spread and thats why hitler would fall on the floor and chew the carpet. The disease tried to destroy all things meant to progress. There was false texts about hitler trying to institute things like eating plant based foods , it was a lie. He did the opposite. In the movie schlindlers list when the guy was sitting upwith a rifle picking the jews off like their life had no meaning he was a spreader and infector of that. The key is NOT to allow anyone with that mentality in a position of power and to stop that disease from spreading everyone has to tap into their true selves. This has to start with world leaders but also with the community and each individual.
Sorry but not tryiing to be rude,
Look at what went on in germany at that time. They separated the women from the men and children from their parents in a harmful way. Isnt this the same thing going on with wars politically, those types of processes to separate each other so the human community as whole.
Ben Masada
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Even to the extent of murder. You have presented the positive side of being a religious people. There is also the negative side, which translates itself into murder, when religion tends to make of its adepts, religious fundamentalists.
The Jewish People, more than any other people, have suffered the most from this kind of religious concept, through pogroms, false accusations of blood libels , Crusades, Inquisition and, lately, the Holocaust. Millions of them have lost their lives at the expenses of the effects of religions on mental health.
Ben
radarmark
Quaker-in-the-Making
Yep, but all sides (and all fundamentalist groups) have this problem, remember Godse and Amir.
Pax et amore omnia vincunt!
Pax et amore omnia vincunt!
Ben Masada
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Who it to say it really is schizophrenia and not some spiritual religious experience?
The bible is full of eyewitness accounts of miracles that have happened to people and miracles performed by jesus. What when these so called delusions have eyewitnesses? Is it a mass delusion where everyone is seeing the same thing? I think not! Its easier for some to explain it away by saying someone is mental than to acknowledge that those things exist.
