Religious and Spiritual Biomarkers in Both Health and Disease

Dados Bibliográficos

ID3224364
AutoresSergei A Kharitonov (0000-0001-7448-1650, autor correspondente)
Ano2012
Volume3
Fascículo2
Páginas467-497
Data de publicação2012-06-06
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoReligions (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444
EditoraMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/rel3020467
OpenAlexW2044229818
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas7
Referências citadas147

Religious thought and spirituality can be considered as a part of natural human capacities. There is an exponential rise in clinical research in the relationship between religion, spirituality and positive health outcomes. Most of these studies, however, have been primarily descriptive, rather than explanatory, focusing on identifying their underlying mechanisms. Almost no attempts have been made to find novel methods to mirror and monitor positive, and possibly negative, reactions related to the local and general effects of religion and spirituality in healthy subjects and patients. As this area of interest is rather new, we propose to put forward a new hypothesis that effects of religion and spirituality can be objectively studied by various exhaled biomarkers, some of which have already been developed and tested in health and disease. The lungs are particularly well suited for this purpose, as we have easy access to exhaled air and thereby a possibility to develop methods that measure compounds directly released from them. This work is the first step in the convergence of medical and theological research by linking various biomarkers and physiological measures with indicators of individual belief systems, religiosity and spirituality

Alternative medicine · Disease · Pathology · Religiosity · Spirituality · Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research · Dietary Effects on Health · Medicine · Psychology · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology · Social Psychology