On May 14, 2001, Time Magazine placed on its cover the face of an elderly nun. These nuns have been studied for 15 years by prominent researchers. As the nuns have died, their autopsied brains have been found to all have dense plaques and tangles associated with Alzheimer disease, but remarkably many of them never manifested symptoms.
The nun study data indicates that certain personality traits may be preventive of symptoms. For example, optimism and serenity seem to be most relevant, subject to further analysis. This suggests that spiritual and religious practices that enhance optimism and serenity may be useful for ALL of us wanting to avoid the perils of Alzheimer disease, regardless of geneotype. It is classically the role of religion to mitigate the anxiety of life. The belief in providence associated with western faiths allows the individual to accept events and place even difficult times in the hands of an ultimately loving God. Asian religions speak of nonattachment, especially Taoism and Buddhism.
Try not to be so attached to one willful course of events, or to material objects, for otherwise serenity is compromised. We may, in the future, come to understand that a spiritual approach to life's inevitable ups and downs over the long haul contributes to healthy aging. If so, new importance will be attached to the old phrases Go with the flow and In God we trust." ---Stephen G. Post, Ph.D.
Stephe
'"/>
Contact: Brent Waters
srns@science-spirit.org
412-585-0842
Science and Religion Information Service
18-Jun-2001