How Prayer Works?

We all pray. It is in your genes. Our ancestors taught us to pray even before we became conscious about this world. Interestingly few questioned how praying works.

Why to God?

When we see God, we just bow in a request for help or expression of thanks. As most people are alone in the crowd. They can not share the inner voice with this world what they are going through. They just want someone who listens to them to give them hope. This is where GOD comes in. He is like an invisible coach for most of them. Talking to him gives them hope.

The Science of Prayer:

Our ancestors were very smart. They knew how to captivate us for our well being. If we observe most praying includes the liberation of all your senses.
lightning, scenting and sound irrespective of religion we follow.

1. Touch: for your skin

The first thing suggested before performing prayer is to have a bath. There is a science behind this too. The water will clean your body, also gives your skin a calm effect. It works better with cold water.

2. Sight: for your eyes

It may be candle or lamp. The lighting makes you feel focused. The light draws you towards it. We are programmed to move towards the light. Light means safe, enlightenment, hope. Even closing of eyes will help to be less distracted. That is why it is suggested to close eyes while praying.

3. Smell: for your nose

Even though flowers and sticks are offered to God. But its scent will also have an effect on you too. The scent of flowers will make you feel relaxed. Even effervescence of incense sticks will make you feel tranquil.

4. Sound: for your ears

The sound of bells, chants keeps you busy and makes you less distracted. Even there is science behind the bell sound and chanting of AUM. The frequency of waves generated will have a magical effect on you. We will learn more about it some other time.

5. Taste: for your tongue

We offer prasadam (sacred food) to God during or end of the prayer. As God is kind enough to sacrifice it for his devotees. Most of it will be consumed by the devotee. Interestingly the prasadam is mostly prepared is sweet. Sweetness ignites certain brain happy areas and makes you feel better. This will have the same effect as of having chocolate.

It becomes difficult to perform all this at home. So we are suggested to visit respective religious places. Again we will learn more about it some other time in coming soon ‘why visit temples?’ article. The Light, Scent and Sound together create a right ambience for things to happen. It liberates your senses. Science works so does the Prayer.

The psychology of prayer:

The psychology of prayer is simple. It uses the subconscious mind to induce the Placebo effect. When you express your quest to God, you’ll talk to yourself. This Auto-Suggestion when repeated roots itself in the subconscious mind. At times, the subconscious mind comes into action and guides your conscious mind. This is a way of self-suggestion like Placebo Effect. Prayer is like a simple minified version of Meditation. Meditation is hard, takes a lot of efforts.

To put it in a simple way, it is like how you learnt your math tables. You kept reciting it daily and is rooted deep in your mind. Now if we toss what is 15*5? Your mind returns 75 without efforts. That is why even Praying is suggested daily. It induces faith and belief in subconscious mind, inturns to hope. HOPE keeps you alive.

The Effect:

We really do not know God exists or not. If he is there to bless you. All good.
Directly or indirectly the Prayer induces positive thinking. It gives courage and endurance to the needy. If it is not working. Maybe you are not focussing enough. Remember, you did not learn the words and math tables in a day.

Great things take time. Till then keep praying.

You can read more about the significance of offering bananas and coconut to God here