In this longer episode, Dave Schmelzer reviews fascinating research about how prayer--and faith--can work so powerfully. He reviews a new book by Nir Eyal which explores the crucial role of injecting hope into our lives and how, that done, our bodies can thrive and we can develop what Eyal calls the "high agency" that can empower us to take meaningful action when life throws obstacles our way. Dave considers how this ties in with how churches look to develop strong faith in you and me and how this might inform things like prayers for healing.

Mentioned on this podcast:

Nir Eyal's book Beyond Belief: The Science-Backed Way to Stop Limiting Yourself and Achieve Breakthrough Results

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Generations of people exploring contemplative spirituality, both in the Christian tradition (Thomas Merton) and outside of it (Thich Nhat Hanh) have gone back again and again to one brilliant and confounding teacher, the German academic and mystic Meister Eckhart. He's the mystic other mystics look to. Dave Schmelzer will take just a bit more time than normal to unpack why this might be so and to give you a window into his own enthusiasm for Eckhart.

Mentioned on this podcast:

• You can sign up to receive Dave's weekly "Thursday notes" here.
• Journey to the Heart: Christian Contemplation through the Centuries, edited by Kim Nataraja

We talk about happiness every now and again, but how can we find it if we realize the things we'd been pinning our happiness on, our biggest dreams, just aren't going to happen? Or even if the bottom really seems to fall out, if we get a terrible diagnosis or someone we love does? What then? Dave Schmelzer discusses research from Sonja Lyubomirsky that suggests potent ways forward.

Mentioned on this podcast:

Sonja Lyubomirsky's book The Myths of Happiness: What Should Make You Happy, but Doesn't, What Shouldn't Make You Happy, but Does

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Dave's guesting on the "Shit My Pastor Said" podcast