Faith can move mountains, as those of us who believe in our religion know for a fact, but the world of science is just waking up to this truth. A motley crew comprising of scientists, philosophers and psychologists from the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge have identified the neurological changes that take place in the brain to allow subjects to feel less pain when they’re under the influence of religious emotions.

The area called the ventro lateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) is responsible for dulling the pain felt during a period of intense religious fervor. This part of the brain performs a reassessment of emotions felt and transforms negative feelings into positive ones, as demonstrated and proved by this experiment. A group of 12 practicing Catholics and 12 agnostics were subjected to electric shock with their brain activity being monitored. The test was repeated while showing the Catholics a picture of the Virgin Mary and the agnostics a painting of Leonardo da Vinci. The researchers found that while the agnostics felt the same pain during both attempts, the Catholics reported a significant reduction in the pain when gazing at the Virgin Mary. The VLPFC of their brains registered the necessary activity as proof of this.

This test only goes to reinforce what Christians and devout believers of other faiths have believed all their lives – that blind faith in the Almighty can cure the deadliest of diseases and make the sun shine bright on a rainy day. Religion is now being seen as a positive force in a person’s lives. Scientists have proven that religious individuals live longer than their atheist counterparts, with this fact being attributed to the sense of holistic wellness that the closeness with God generates.

Religious people are more content with themselves and their lot, and are thus not prone to anxiety attacks and stressful episodes. They have a definite sense of right and wrong, and this makes them live life according to their conscience. They attend church regularly and make it a point to practice what the Bible says. They teach their children good values. It’s these aspects and others that make their lives fulfilling and satisfactory.

The research also indentified that the brains of children who are brought up in religious households tend to develop neurologically to improve positive feelings and lessen negative ones when associated with religious symbols, feelings or events. Probably the best argument that can be made in favor of teaching children the value of religion and the important role that it plays in our lives!