Effects and potentials of self-created, heartfelt embodied prayers in times of uncertainty
Consciousness Spirituality & Transpersonal Psychology December 6, 2022 Jasmin Bloch
Prayer can be developed as a tool to enhance life circumstances, with potential benefits for psychological well-being, embodiment, transpersonal states, and inner transformation. An experiential pilot study on self-created heartfelt embodied (SCHE) prayer was conducted with eight participants over six weeks during COVID-19. Participants completed four prayer cycles with optional guidelines and two group webinars, documenting experiences in a workbook and qualitative questionnaires. Using heuristic inquiry, the study identified eight themes, with connection as the core theme. Other themes included relationship to self, depth and feeling, transformation, heartfelt experience, discovery and insight, finding my way/style, and transpersonal experiences (divine/source and nature/planet). The findings suggest multiple benefits and are discussed alongside other prayer approaches and evidence-based studies.