What is the Faith Factor?

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For a long time, many people have believed that the mind has some control over the physical well-being of the human body.  Scientists at some of the world’s leading universities are currently researching the effects that deep relaxation and strong beliefs can have on illness and on general poor health.

The founder of the Faith Factor, Dr. Herbert Benson, has always believed that the human body has a built-in ability to heal itself, and that a deep-seated faith in a system of belief--whether religious of philosophical--can help elicit the body’s self-healing response.  In order to help individuals harness their spiritual side and focus on their beliefs—allowing them to come one step closer to tapping into that self-healing response—Dr. Benson developed the Relaxation-Response technique that is used by millions of people today as a meditation and relaxation method.

The Relaxation-Response technique is a very easy technique to learn and can be done anywhere you can find a quiet, comfortable space. When you are sitting comfortably, close your eyes and breathe deeply.  Relax your muscles, and breathe in and hold the air for a few seconds before exhaling fully.  During each exhalation repeat a word or phrase that has a special meaning to you--it could be phrase related to your religion, or a simple word such as ‘love’ or ‘home’.  If other thoughts enter your mind, don’t panic: just let them clear away and return to focusing on your chosen mantra.

The physical effects that you will feel as a result of practicing this relaxation-response technique include a slower heart-rate, slower breathing, lower blood pressure and a decrease in stressful brain activity. These are the same physical responses that anti-anxiety and stress-relieving drugs produce.  Because of this similarity of response, it’s likely that in the majority of cases the harmful bodily effects of stress and anxiety could be treated with relaxation methods instead of drugs.  In fact, studies have shown that around three-quarters of the people who visit their doctor because of physical illness could get better on their own simply by embracing the Faith Factor.

The Faith Factor does require that you have faith in something that can occupy your entire mind.  Often this is a religious belief, but there’s no need for it to be: your faith can be in your doctor, your partner, or your chosen philosophy.  What exactly you believe in is irrelevant; the fact that you whole-heartedly believe is the key.  And by putting yourself in a state of deep relaxation, you can focus more closely on your belief and thus bring about the body’s self-healing response.

Our bodies feel the effects of reality through pain and discomfort, feelings which ultimately come from the brain.  Because of this, people are starting to believe that if you refocus the mind away from the physical body and its pains, much of that pain can be subdued. Studies have shown that individuals who practice relaxation-response techniques in conjunction with a belief in the body’s self-healing abilities do in fact experience a reduction in chronic pain.

Stress is not only caused by daytime activities: nightmares and lucid dreams caused by various factors, including post traumatic stress disorder, can cause the body to show a number of stress symptoms.  In an experiment, Dr. J. B. Nawlin used an EKG to measure the electrical activity in both the brain and the heart during the dreaming process.  The results show that dreams, which are ultimately produced by the mind, elicit physical changes in the body that mimic the symptoms of stress. Some subjects complained of chest pains and stomach discomfort because the amount of acid produced while dreaming increased.  Other reactions included an increased pulse rate, increased respiration and perspiration, tension in the muscles, and more.

What does this prove?  For one, it shows that the activities of the mind can and do have an effect on the physical state of the body.  In Nawlin’s study these effects were detrimental, true, but if the mind can strong negative effects, what’s to stop it from having equally strong positive effects?  

Well, it can: by practicing relaxation-response techniques everyday for only fifteen to twenty minutes, keeping in mind the Faith Factor and really focusing on the object of your belief, you can help to relieve both daytime and night-time stress and the intrusive physical symptoms that come with them.  Consequently, you will find that you suffer less from stress-related illnesses, and that your overall sense of well-being dramatically improves.  Who wouldn’t want to have faith in that?

N.B: To get the most out of the technique and the Faith Factor, it is strongly recommended that you first participate in sessions with a qualified relaxation therapist.  Here at The 4thR we offer one-to-one sessions or group therapy in order to get you started on the path to increased relaxation, along with the better health for both body and mind relaxation can bring.

The 4th R is a resource and training center for learning how to relax based in South West London. It was founded by Charles Moore, whose health flourished under his own innovative application of relaxation techniques based upon the MythoSelf® Process.

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www.the4thr.co.uk
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