Episodic Memory in Later Life: Benefits of Prayer and Meditation

Abstract

Purpose: To examine the effects of prayer and meditation on the episodic memory of older adults. Design: Secondary analysis of Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Method: Drawing from a subsample of HRS ( n = 1,135), this study utilized generalized estimating equation regression models to examine the effects of meditation and prayer on changes in episodic memory of older adults over time. Findings: Findings show a statistically significant positive effect of the use of prayer (0.50, p < .05) on episodic memory score at baseline. We also observed a slight gain in episodic memory over time for older adults who used prayer (0.04, p = .05). Meditation was not found to have a statistically significant effect on changes in memory in later life. Conclusion: This study illustrates the benefits of prayer in preserving memory and provides much needed empirical basis for community-level interventions to enhance memory in later life.

Exploring the Meaning of Spirituality and Spiritual Care with Help From Viktor Frankl

“…For example, in studies conducted with individuals diagnosed with dementia and suffering from progressive illness, spiritual needs were found to be present, even when cognitive and physical function deteriorate; it appears the spirit lives on (Berry, 2005). In a secondary analysis of a large sample (n = 1,135), the effect of prayer in older adults was reported to be significantly, positively associated with long-term memory (0.50, p < .05) which affects recollection of specific events and life experiences helping promote connection to personal meaning (Lekhak et al, 2020). In the Coping with Cancer study (Balboni et al, 2007), 88% of the participants with advanced cancer with a prognosis of less than 1 year remaining reported religion was important.…”

How Christian Nurses Respond to Patient Requests for Prayer

“…Prayer is captured in the nursing intervention classification (Butcher & Bulechek, 2018) as a spiritual growth facilitation intervention (Solari-Twadell & Hackbarth, 2010). It also is researched and documented in the nursing literature (e.g., Lekhak et al, 2020) and seen as an aspect of spiritual care that researchers classify as holistic and person-centered (Solari-Twadell & Hackbarth, 2010; Southard, 2020). In the past, some have challenged the notion of healthcare providers engaging with patients spiritually (e.g., Paley, 2009).…”