Abstract

The body produces more cortisol when in stress. The purpose of this study was to see if cortisol levels could be influenced by first, ordinary experiences and second, by perceived stress. Participants in this study agreed to have their cortisol levels measured through saliva samples. After baseline cortisol levels were determined, two different treatments were administered. The first treatment involved an ordinary experience of a brief prayer session. Cortisol was taken before the treatment and after the experience. The cortisol samples were examined and compared to the baseline samples. The second treatment involved a suspense movie. Again cortisol was taken before and after the treatment. Cortisol was again compared to the baseline data as well as the prayer session cortisol data. The results indicated that perceived stress did raise cortisol levels and that prayer experiences can change expected cortisol levels. Results of this study indicate that teachers are able to influence the teaching environment by the kind of experiences they plan for students.