Throughout history religious beliefs have provided people with powerful means to cope with life crises and face the storms of natural disasters, wars and other man-made calamities. Such beliefs have also promoted community life through faith and fellowship. This website is dedicated to creating an environment where bridges can be built between medical science and religion/spirituality
The history of religious rituals and practice dates back at least 500,000 years based on research findings of ritual treatment evident in skull wounds during China’s Paleolithic period. (1) In the ancient world, medicine and religion were intertwined and temples had the functions of healing both the visible and invisible wounds of body and mind. From the ancient dynasties of China and the Middle-East to the aboriginal empires of the Americas, healing practices were enriched by medical knowledge as well as spiritual inspiration and wisdom. Prayer was one of the oldest and most commonly used forms of therapy at a time when no treatment was available to assuage suffering of the human mind.
During the 19th century the work of Sigmund Freud, including his association of religion with hysteria and neurosis, undermined religious and spiritual beliefs, creating a separation between religion and medical science that adversely influenced a large number of health professionals and other intellectuals. This influence persisted into the 20th century.
In spite of the influence of Freud and others, as well as “spectacular advances in technology and science, 90% of the world’s population is involved today in some form of religious or spiritual practice. Nonreligious people make up less than 0.1% of the populations in many Middle-Eastern and African countries. Only 8 of 238 countries have populations where more than 25% say they are not religious, and those are countries where the state has placed limitations on religious freedom…in only 12 of 238 countries do atheists make up 5% or more of the population. In Canada, 12.5% of the population are non-religious and 1.9% atheist.” (1)
Perhaps due to this reality toward the end of the 20th century there emerged a revival of interest in reintegrating spirituality into medical programs of education in North American universities. In 1994 only 17 of 126 accredited US medical schools offered courses in spirituality and medicine. By 1998, this number had increased to 39 and by 2004, 84 medical schools offered such courses (2). Today there are over 125 medical schools in the United States with courses or seminars on spirituality and medicine.
As advances in health sciences and technology rapidly move forward, it will be crucial to also recognize the spiritual dimension of human reality. Human beings by nature are not purely biological entities made up of molecules but rather are multidimensional beings with biological, psychological, social and spiritual facets of existence. Developing a more profound vision of human nature and healing will enable physicians to have a broader and unified understanding of patients and their suffering.
The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has recommended that spirituality be addressed in medical curricula.(3) Moreover, the American College of Graduate Medical Education, the Residency Training for Psychiatry requires that all programs must provide training on religion or spirituality.
In Canada there are several medical schools which offer courses or seminars on issues pertaining to the interface of spirituality and medicine. At McGill University in Montreal a required course for second year medical students and an elective course for fourth year medical students on spirituality, religion and medicine have been part of the medical education curriculum for many years.
The following are a few noteworthy perspectives regarding the integration of spirituality and medical science.
Material and Spiritual Science:
“Scientific knowledge is the highest attainment upon the human plane, for science is the discoverer of realities. It is of two kinds: material and spiritual. Material science is the investigation of natural phenomena; divine science is the discovery and realization of spiritual verities. The world of humanity must acquire both…Material and spiritual science are the two wings of human uplift and attainment.(4)
Faith and the Practice of Medicine
“Nothing in life is more wonderful than faith – the one great moving force which we can neither weigh in the balance nor test in the crucible…Faith has always been an essential factor in the practice of medicine.”(5)
Spirituality and Purpose in Life
“For many people, religion forms a basis of meaning and purpose in life. The profoundly disturbing effects of illness can call into question a person’s purpose in life and work… Healing, the restoration of wholeness (including spiritual aspects) requires answers to these questions.” (6)
Medicine and the Soul
“Modern medicine has made significant scientific progress, but technological advancement has caused the soul and the healing bond between patient and physician to be neglected.” (7)
(1) G. Koenig, The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 54, no. 5, May 2009
(2) A. Fortin et al, JAMA (Journal of American Medical Association), 2004
(3) D. King et al. Teaching and Learning in Medicine, 2004
(4) Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace
(5) William Osler, 1910
(6) Foglio & Brody, J. Fam. Pract. 1981: 27: 473-4 (in Puchalski, Acad. Med)
(7) D. Rosen, Humane Medicine, vol. 5, 1989
Dr. A-M. Ghadirian’s e-mail address for this website is as follows:
amghadirian[insert “@”here]medicineandspirituality.com
