Role of Faith and Belief in Healing: A Psychological Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54536/ajhp.v4i2.7757Keywords:
Alternative Medicine, Faith Healing, Psychological Mechanisms, Religious Rituals, Spiritual HealingAbstract
People’s techniques for handling illness and their process of healing require their belief systems and religious affiliations and their personal faith. Faith healing refers to the practice of using spiritual or religious beliefs and rituals to restore health and cure ailments, often in the absence of conventional medical treatment. Faith healing practices exist in different religious traditions through their use of prayer and laying on of hands and anointing with oil and their need to call for divine help. The study investigates faith healing through its historical development and cultural practices and religious beliefs across different faith traditions to discover its current use in both religious and secular settings. The authors examine how three psychological and physiological processes which include the placebo effect and faith-driven optimism and community support can lead to people experiencing healing results. Additionally, ethical considerations are examined, particularly the balance between faith-based practices and the need for evidence-based medical care. Through this review, we aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of faith healing’s place in modern healthcare and its implications for the interplay between belief, health, and well-being.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Komal Chetiwa, Sandeep K Pandey, Payal Kanwar Chandel, Muhammed Mubashir
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