DECENTRAELIGIO

I’ve recently started a YouTube channel! It’ll be focused on rigorously and reverently advancing the dialogue between Science and Religion(s), in an accessible way, for audiences of a wide variety of belief systems.

BIOLOGICAL UTILITY OF THE SABBATH

What is the Sabbath, really? Can science help us make the most of our Day of Rest?

This video answers both of these questions, using data useful to religious and secular audiences. It includes a brief systematic review of the Christian Bible's Sabbath instructions, and a Narrative Synthesis of science-backed, evidence-based practices, with examples and instructions, that will make your Day of Rest optimally restful.

FULL REFERENCE LIST

Almahayni, O., & Hammond, L. (2024). Does the Wim Hof Method have a beneficial impact on physiological and psychological outcomes in healthy and non-healthy participants? A systematic review. PloS one, 19(3), e0286933. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286933

Alvarsson, J. J., Wiens, S., & Nilsson, M. E. (2010). Stress recovery during exposure to nature sound and environmental noise. International journal of environmental research and public health, 7(3), 1036–1046. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph7031036

Anastasi, M. W., & Newberg, A. B. (2008). A preliminary study of the acute effects of religious ritual on anxiety. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.), 14(2), 163–165. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2007.0675

Annerstedt, M., & Währborg, P. (2011). Nature-assisted therapy: systematic review of controlled and observational studies. Scandinavian journal of public health, 39(4), 371–388. https://doi.org/10.1177/1403494810396400

Asadollah, F., Nikfarid, L., Sabery, M., Varzeshnejad, M., & Hashemi, F. (2023). The Impact of Loving-Kindness Meditation on Compassion Fatigue of Nurses Working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Randomized Clinical Trial Study. Holistic nursing practice, 37(4), 215–222. https://doi.org/10.1097/HNP.0000000000000590

Balban, M. Y., Neri, E., Kogon, M. M., Weed, L., Nouriani, B., Jo, B., Holl, G., Zeitzer, J. M., Spiegel, D., & Huberman, A. D. (2023). Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal. Cell reports. Medicine, 4(1), 100895. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100895

Bankard J. (2015). Training Emotion Cultivates Morality: How Loving-Kindness Meditation Hones Compassion and Increases Prosocial Behavior. Journal of religion and health, 54(6), 2324–2343. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-014-9999-8

Beyer, K. M., Kaltenbach, A., Szabo, A., Bogar, S., Nieto, F. J., & Malecki, K. M. (2014). Exposure to neighborhood green space and mental health: evidence from the survey of the health of Wisconsin. International journal of environmental research and public health, 11(3), 3453–3472. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph110303453

Casey, Michael. (1995). Sacred Reading: The Ancient Art of Lectio Divina. Liguori.

Davidson, R. J., Kabat-Zinn, J., Schumacher, J., Rosenkranz, M., Muller, D., Santorelli, S. F., Urbanowski, F., Harrington, A., Bonus, K., & Sheridan, J. F. (2003). Alterations in brain and immune function produced by mindfulness meditation. Psychosomatic medicine, 65(4), 564–570. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.psy.0000077505.67574.e3

de Bloom, J., Kompier, M., Geurts, S., de Weerth, C., Taris, T., & Sonnentag, S. (2009). Do we recover from vacation? Meta-analysis of vacation effects on health and well-being. Journal of occupational health, 51(1), 13–25. https://doi.org/10.1539/joh.k8004

Eliade, Mircea. (1959). The Sacred and the Profane: The Nature of Religion. Harcourt.

Eisen, A. M., Bratman, G. N., & Olvera-Alvarez, H. A. (2024). Susceptibility to stress and nature exposure: Unveiling differential susceptibility to physical environments; a randomized controlled trial. PloS one, 19(4), e0301473. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0301473

Ernst, M., Niederer, D., Werner, A. M., Czaja, S. J., Mikton, C., Ong, A. D., Rosen, T., Brähler, E., & Beutel, M. E. (2022). Loneliness before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review with meta-analysis. The American psychologist, 77(5), 660–677. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0001005

Faude, O., Kindermann, W., & Meyer, T. (2009). Lactate threshold concepts: how valid are they?. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 39(6), 469–490. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200939060-00003

Friedman, H. L., MacDonald, D. A., Brown, N. J. L., & Coyne, J. C. (2020). Extraordinary claims require compelling evidence: Concerns about "loving-kindness meditation slows biological aging in novices". Psychoneuroendocrinology, 111, 104410. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104410

Gidlow, C. J., Jones, M. V., Hurst, G., Masterson, D., Clark-Carter, D., Tarvainen, M. P., Smith, G., & Nieuwenhuijsen, M. (2016). Where to put your best foot forward: Psycho-physiological responses to walking in natural and Urban Environments. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 45, 22–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2015.11.003

Gildner, D. (2016). Practicing Sabbath: Improving clergy health and helping differentiate one’s self from role, preventing one cause of clergy burnout. United Theological Seminary. https://archive.org/details/daniel-gildner-final-document-2016/mode/2up

Goldberg, S. B., Riordan, K. M., Sun, S., & Davidson, R. J. (2021). The Empirical Status of Mindfulness-Based Interventions: A Systematic Review of 44 Meta-Analyses of Randomized Controlled Trials. Perspectives on psychological science: a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, 17(1), 108–130. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691620968771

Gordon, A. M., Carrillo, B., & Barnes, C. M. (2021). Sleep and social relationships in healthy populations: A systematic review. Sleep medicine reviews, 57, 101428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2021.101428

Guidi, J., Lucente, M., Sonino, N., & Fava, G. A. (2021). Allostatic Load and Its Impact on Health: A Systematic Review. Psychotherapy and psychosomatics, 90(1), 11–27. https://doi.org/10.1159/000510696

Harris, M. A., & Orth, U. (2020). The link between self-esteem and social relationships: A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Journal of personality and social psychology, 119(6), 1459–1477. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000265

Hinojosa, J.N., Hearon, C.M. & Kowalsky, R.J. Blood lactate response to active recovery in athletes vs. non-athletes. Sport Sci Health 17, 699–705 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-021-00735-w

Hough, H., Proeschold-Bell, R.J., Liu, X., Weisner, C., Turner, E.L., & Yao, J. (2019). Relationships between Sabbath observance and mental, physical, and spiritual health in clergy. Pastoral Psychology, 68(2), 171-193. https://sci-hub.se/10.1007/s11089-018-0838-9

Huberman, Andrew. (2021, May 3). Using cortisol & adrenaline to boost our energy & immune system function [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPX8g8ibKFc

Hui B. P. H. (2022). Prosocial behavior and well-being: Shifting from the 'chicken and egg' to positive feedback loop. Current opinion in psychology, 44, 231–236. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.09.017

Hutcherson, C. A., Seppala, E. M., & Gross, J. J. (2008). Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. Emotion (Washington, D.C.), 8(5), 720–724. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0013237

Jaremka, L. M., Fagundes, C. P., Peng, J., Bennett, J. M., Glaser, R., Malarkey, W. B., & Kiecolt-Glaser, J. K. (2013). Loneliness promotes inflammation during acute stress. Psychological science, 24(7), 1089–1097. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797612464059

Jennings, A. S. (2019). SCRIPTURE MEDITATION (LECTIO DIVINA) AND THE REGULATION OF NEGATIVE REACTIONS TO STRESS IN ANDERSON UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. Mercer University. https://ursa.mercer.edu/bitstream/handle/10898/12347/Jennings_mercer_1160E_10240_1.pdf?sequence=8

Johnson, D. P., Penn, D. L., Fredrickson, B. L., Kring, A. M., Meyer, P. S., Catalino, L. I., & Brantley, M. (2011). A pilot study of loving-kindness meditation for the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia research, 129(2-3), 137–140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2011.02.015

Kabat‐Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness‐based interventions in context: past, present, and future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 144-156. https://institutpsychoneuro.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Kabat-Zinn-2003.pdf

Kemper, K. J., Powell, D., Helms, C. C., & Kim-Shapiro, D. B. (2015). Loving-kindness meditation's effects on nitric oxide and perceived well-being: a pilot study in experienced and inexperienced meditators. Explore (New York, N.Y.), 11(1), 32–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.explore.2014.10.002

Kjaer, T. W., Bertelsen, C., Piccini, P., Brooks, D., Alving, J., & Lou, H. C. (2002). Increased dopamine tone during meditation-induced change of consciousness. Brain research. Cognitive brain research, 13(2), 255–259. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0926-6410(01)00106-9

Knabb, J. J., Vazquez, V. E., Pate, R. A., Lowell, J. R., Wang, K. T., De Leeuw, T. G., Dominguez, A. F., Duvall, K. S., Esperante, J., Gonzalez, Y. A., Nagel, G. L., Novasel, C. D., Pelaez, A. M., Strickland, S., & Park, J. C. (2022). Lectio Divina for trauma symptoms: A two-part study. Spirituality in Clinical Practice, 9(4), 232–252. https://doi.org/10.1037/scp0000303

Kox, M., van Eijk, L. T., Zwaag, J., van den Wildenberg, J., Sweep, F. C., van der Hoeven, J. G., & Pickkers, P. (2014). Voluntary activation of the sympathetic nervous system and attenuation of the innate immune response in humans. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 111(20), 7379–7384. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1322174111

Laustsen, L. M., Christiansen, J., Maindal, H. T., Plana-Ripoll, O., & Lasgaard, M. (2024). The longitudinal relation between loneliness and perceived stress: A structural equation modelling analysis of 10,159 individuals. Scandinavian journal of public health, 52(4), 410–418. https://doi.org/10.1177/14034948231151716

Le Nguyen, K. D., Lin, J., Algoe, S. B., Brantley, M. M., Kim, S. L., Brantley, J., Salzberg, S., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2019). Loving-kindness meditation slows biological aging in novices: Evidence from a 12-week randomized controlled trial. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 108, 20–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.05.020

Lutz, A., Slagter, H. A., Dunne, J. D., & Davidson, R. J. (2008). Attention regulation and monitoring in meditation. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 12(4), 163-169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2008.01.005

Mahon, N. E., Yarcheski, A., Yarcheski, T. J., Cannella, B. L., & Hanks, M. M. (2006). A meta-analytic study of predictors for loneliness during adolescence. Nursing research, 55(5), 308–315. https://doi.org/10.1097/00006199-200609000-00003

McEwen, B. S., & Karatsoreos, I. N. (2015). Sleep Deprivation and Circadian Disruption: Stress, Allostasis, and Allostatic Load. Sleep medicine clinics, 10(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsmc.2014.11.007

Mcleod, J. C., Currier, B. S., Lowisz, C. V., & Phillips, S. M. (2024). The influence of resistance exercise training prescription variables on skeletal muscle mass, strength, and physical function in healthy adults: An umbrella review. Journal of sport and health science, 13(1), 47–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2023.06.005

Musto, S., & Hazard Vallerand, A. (2023). Exploring the uses of yoga nidra: An integrative review. Journal of nursing scholarship : an official publication of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, 55(6), 1164–1178. https://doi.org/10.1111/jnu.12927

Muzik, O., Reilly, K. T., & Diwadkar, V. A. (2018). "Brain over body"-A study on the willful regulation of autonomic function during cold exposure. NeuroImage, 172, 632–641. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.01.067

Nowland, R., Robinson, S. J., Bradley, B. F., Summers, V., & Qualter, P. (2018). Loneliness, HPA stress reactivity and social threat sensitivity: Analyzing naturalistic social challenges. Scandinavian journal of psychology, 59(5), 540–546. https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12461

Quadt, L., Esposito, G., Critchley, H. D., & Garfinkel, S. N. (2020). Brain-body interactions underlying the association of loneliness with mental and physical health. Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews, 116, 283–300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.06.015

Romero, S. A., Minson, C. T., & Halliwill, J. R. (2017). The cardiovascular system after exercise. Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985), 122(4), 925–932. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00802.2016

Salzberg, S. (1995). Loving kindness: The revolutionary art of happiness. Boston: Shambhala Press. https://archive.org/details/lovingkindnessre0000salz

Shanahan, D. F., Bush, R., Gaston, K. J., Lin, B. B., Dean, J., Barber, E., & Fuller, R. A. (2016). Health Benefits from Nature Experiences Depend on Dose. Scientific reports, 6, 28551. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep28551

Shuda, Q., Bougoulias, M. E., & Kass, R. (2020). Effect of nature exposure on perceived and physiologic stress: A systematic review. Complementary therapies in medicine, 53, 102514. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102514

Sudimac, S., Sale, V., & Kühn, S. (2022). How nature nurtures: Amygdala activity decreases as the result of a one-hour walk in nature. Molecular psychiatry, 27(11), 4446–4452. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-022-01720-6

Surkalim, D. L., Luo, M., Eres, R., Gebel, K., van Buskirk, J., Bauman, A., & Ding, D. (2022). The prevalence of loneliness across 113 countries: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 376, e067068. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2021-067068

Turrigiano G. (2012). Homeostatic synaptic plasticity: local and global mechanisms for stabilizing neuronal function. Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology, 4(1), a005736. https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a005736

Vervaeke, John. (2019, August 30). Ep. 33 - Awakening from the Meaning Crisis: The Spirituality of RR: Wonder/Awe/Mystery/Sacredness [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/_zkLevmQe90?si=1ANoAFHRoGYkiuAm&t=3183

Vervaeke, John. (2019, September 13). Ep. 35 - Awakening from the Meaning Crisis - The Symbol, Sacredness, and the Sacred [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/rpivf1SoEdc?si=wGzwPZJXd67g1Mno&t=2971

Wang, S., Molassiotis, A., Guo, C., Leung, I. S. H., & Leung, A. Y. M. (2023). Association between social integration and risk of dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 71(2), 632–645. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.18094

Zeng, X., Chiu, C. P., Wang, R., Oei, T. P., & Leung, F. Y. (2015). The effect of loving-kindness meditation on positive emotions: a meta-analytic review. Frontiers in psychology, 6, 1693. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01693

Zheng, Y., Yan, L., Chen, Y. et al. Effects of Loving-Kindness and Compassion Meditation on Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Mindfulness 14, 1021–1037 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-023-02121-8