Religion’s impact on the brain and how it can enhance well-being
Even though modern society may seem highly superficial and materialistic, spiritual faith still remains as a core value among many individuals; approximately 85% of the global population are affiliated with religion. Religion, by giving purpose in life and teaching intangible lessons, brings comfort to people’s minds. As its common practices include prayers, meditation, and rituals, religious individuals demonstrate different perspectives and lifestyles from non-religious individuals. While these may seem purely spiritual on the surface level, scientific studies have shown that religion can significantly influence the brain’s status.
One of the most common religious beliefs is that the greater force will give people their needs and wants, so many rely on praying and reading the scripture during hard times. Indeed, these abstract behaviors are found to buffer stress: longitudinal studies have shown that religiousness and/or spirituality can reduce the risks of depression and promote recovery from depression. Both church attendance and personal faith were found to regulate depression severity, though the latter played a more significant role in alleviating overall symptoms in the long term.
In addition to reducing stress during difficult times, religion can provide temporary pleasure in daily lives. Religious experience activates several brain areas, including the ones involved in the reward system. Specifically, the bilateral nucleus accumbens, along with the frontal attentional and ventromedial prefrontal cortical loci, are brain regions activated by sexual activities, drugs, music and risky behaviors. These results align with previous studies that discovered that spiritual experience increases the amount of serotonin and endorphins – neurotransmitters associated with enhanced well-being and happiness.
This theory has been visualized through surveys investigating the relationship between religiousness and happiness. According to Pew Research Center, more than one-third of actively religious participants in the United States reported that they are happy, compared to only a quarter of inactively religious or uninvolved individuals. Additionally, actively religious individuals had higher local participation, such as through volunteer work. Religious individuals also reported healthier behaviors, such as non-smoking or non-drinking, but did not necessarily report better physical health.
For clinical applications, experts are looking forward to further advancing neurotheology on religion and the brain. The relationship between the two can improve therapeutic approaches towards mental disorders and, as some hope, uncover the nature of the world. Regardless of the existence of the greater spirit, though, religion has various positive effects on the brain, and no matter how strongly the individual identifies with a particular religious organization, incorporating some of its practices can improve their daily lives.