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1.18 MB
Extraction Summary
2
People
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Organizations
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Locations
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Events
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Relationships
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Quotes
Document Information
Type:
Report page / congressional oversight document
File Size:
1.18 MB
Summary
This document appears to be page 49 of a larger report produced or reviewed by the House Oversight Committee. It contains a summary of scientific research regarding the link between social/spiritual connections and physical health. Specifically, it details Louise Hawkley's work on social isolation's impact on health (blood pressure, sleep, etc.) and Gary Berntson's work on how perceived connections with God affect biological reflexes and equilibrium.
People (2)
| Name | Role | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Louise Hawkley | Researcher / Essayist |
Mentioned as the author of an essay exploring the physical consequences of inadequate social connection.
|
| Gary Berntson | Researcher |
Mentioned for exploring a person's perceived connection with God and its effects on biological systems.
|
Organizations (1)
| Name | Type | Context |
|---|---|---|
| House Oversight Committee |
implied by the Bates stamp 'HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_021295' at the bottom of the page.
|
Relationships (1)
Both are cited in the same text regarding research on relationships and biological health.
Key Quotes (4)
"The extent and quality of our social connections can have profound consequences for our physical well-being."Source
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_021295.jpg
Quote #1
"Gary Berntson takes things one step further by exploring a person’s perceived connection with God and its effects on our basic biological systems."Source
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_021295.jpg
Quote #2
"Berntson shows that thoughts and beliefs alter not only behaviors, but also the regulation of these reflex-like mechanisms."Source
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_021295.jpg
Quote #3
"This theory describes a biological mechanism that could explain why spirituality is associated with generally better health."Source
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_021295.jpg
Quote #4
Full Extracted Text
Complete text extracted from the document (1,466 characters)
Page | 49
From Relationships to People and Groups to Relationships with God
The extent and quality of our social connections can have profound consequences for our physical well-being. In her essay, Louise Hawkley explores in particular the consequences that feelings of inadequate social connection have on such physical outcomes as sleep quality, high blood pressure, reduced ability to respond to inflammation, cognitive health in aging, and cardiovascular health. While Hawkley emphasizes the relationship between the invisible forces of social connection and health and the biological mechanisms responsible for this relationship, Gary Berntson takes things one step further by exploring a person’s perceived connection with God and its effects on our basic biological systems. Many of our basic biological processes, such as breathing or maintaining sufficient blood pressure to oxygenate the brain, are reflexes that are so automatic that they become invisible to us. Berntson shows that thoughts and beliefs alter not only behaviors, but also the regulation of these reflex-like mechanisms. And he suggests that the root of these effects may lie in the way that humans and other animals maintain biological equilibrium with regulatory mechanisms that, under ordinary circumstances, keep each other in check. This theory describes a biological mechanism that could explain why spirituality is associated with generally better health.
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_021295
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