S.5 #8 | Scientific Method Part II: The science behind the benefits of religion

Continuing with the topic of science behind the benefits of religion, I explain in this episode how the practice of religion offers an impressive, time-tested array of psychological technologies that augment our biology to help us solve problems that biological adaptation alone hasn’t been able to solve. So why forsake the numerous, priceless tools available to us in religion? As I always do, I share my personal experience with religion in the hopes of inspiring more and more people to give religion a chance.

Mentions:

“How God Works” by David DeSteno

sociologist Robert K. Merton

Quote by Adeline Foster

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Transcript

The Scientific Method II

Today I am continuing with the topic of science behind the benefits of religion based on the book “How God Works” by David DeSteno. So let’s jump right in. First up is Choice. Most people believe that the more choices we have in life, the better. However! Have you ever been at a restaurant with a ridiculously long menu and had no idea what to order? I know I have! Every time I see a long menu, I get overwhelmed and annoyed because it’s hard to make a decision! Or do you ever get on Netflix or another streaming platform hoping to find something new to watch and spend way too long choosing? There have been times when my husband and I previewed upwards of a dozen series and documentaries and still couldn’t decide what to watch, feeling irritated and mad at each other for not being able to agree on something. And believe it or not this goes for everything in life. In addition to feeling overwhelmed by too many choices, psychologists have shown that having too many choices can cause greater dissatisfaction with whatever option we ultimately choose. I have to mention my husband here too because when we go shopping for something even as small as clothing, and he tries on a bunch of outfits, at check out, and on the way home, and even once we get home, he experiences buyer's remorse. He keeps asking me, “should I have gotten the other shirt? Should I return this and get something else?etc etc”. It’s customary to think that the more choices we have in life, the better, but this turns out to be not so. Think of dating apps and the existence of more profiles that you can physically view….this can certainly leave you feeling uncertain, thinking “what if my soulmate is still out there, I just didn’t get to his profile?” And what about Amazon and other on-line stores? The other day I was looking to buy new bedding. Even after filtering my search by color, price and size, I was still left with thousands of options to choose from. I’m not going to disclose the amount of time I spent scrolling, let’s just say I was exhausted and completely unsure of my decision. Yes, I know I can return it if I’m not satisfied, blah bla blah but if I return it, that means the search will be on again and just thinking about it is making me antsy. And this is what scientific studies are showing too! More choice does not maximize overall well-being! But religions have known this all along and didn’t need to wait for science to make this discovery. Yes, of course, religious people today still have many choices, such as what to buy at the grocery store or what to watch on TV, but at least the problem of choice doesn’t permeate other aspects of life such as marriage, whether or no to lie to save your job, or what to do to help your child recover from an illness. In his book, “How God Works”, David DeSteno explains that “with belief - that God will intervene, that a ritual will heal, that a choice never to lie or cheat ensures the best outcomes - comes certainty. And with certainty comes a kind of inner peace”. For instance, when a Jewish young man or woman starts dating, the choices are limited because they look for someone of the same faith and also matchmaking is very much still a thing to this day. If not a professional matchmaker, it might be the parents or other family members, or even members of the community, that will make suggestions to the young, picking from a pool of familiar, trusted individuals. This is a great way to meet potential suitors because, for one, it’s safer, right? You’re not meeting some random person from the internet, or at a bar, that might turn out to be a stalker or has a secret, dark past. These are hand-picked individuals by people who know you and care for you that can suggest a match based on similar interests and background. Other religions and cultures practice matchmaking too with much success. Coming back to the limited choices in food, I want to add that learning to observe Kosher has made my life more simple too. I like that I have less foods to choose from, a shorter menu at a restaurant and a smaller section at the grocery store….it makes making decisions faster and it keeps me more conscious of my food choices.

But let’s get back to certainty and inner peace. Scientists also have shown clear links between faith and decreased levels of anxiety at the neurological level. Belief has proven to calm activity in the anterior cingulate cortex -  a part of the brain associated with what we might call “alarm bell” experiences. When neuroscientists measured activity in this part of the brain as people were confronted with decisions in which they made errors, those subjects with stronger belief in God showed less activity than others. In other words, thinking about God makes religious people calmer. And I can vouch for this! The whole reason I started my podcast was to share my personal story of how I overcame 20 years-worth of anxiety! If you’ve listened to my first episodes, you’ll know that I tried to cure my anxiety with every possible approach there is, and nothing helped. Only when I became a believer, when I finally started to believe in God, to pray to God, to practice spirituality regularly, only then did I find relief. I am a college instructor and sometimes I can’t believe how many young students experience anxiety. They come up to me on the first day of class and tell me all about it, some have special accommodations in place, in case of a panic attack or some other uncontrollable event. My stepdaughter is in high school and I hear about the countless teenagers dealing with depression, with anxiety and even self harm. Guess what?! Those kids and adults who practice religion experience much lower levels of anxiety, if any at all. 

Ok, let’s move on to the next benefit of religion. I mentioned in the previous episode how religious people also experience less loneliness and depression. Let me explain this a bit further. Did you know that loneliness is as dangerous as smoking? This is because loneliness impairs immunity, worsens inflammation, and increases blood pressure, all of which are related to ailments like heart disease and diabetes. Thankfully, religion, like other social institutions, has the power to combat this malady by providing regular opportunities for gathering. What sets religion apart, though, is that many of the gatherings are obligatory, but even more importantly, the gatherings provide for deeper, more meaningful bonds between people. The way this occurs is through religious rituals, such as prayer service. Psychologists have conducted experiments on motor synchrony - moving parts of your body in time with others - and have reported that synchrony of any type made people feel closer to, trust, and cooperate more with one another, BUT, the effects were magnified when the synchrony had a sacred element attached to it. In other words, when the activity was spiritually meaningful, the impact that synchrony had on people’s minds intensified. As you probably know, synchronous, spiritual activities are an intrinsic part of most religions. In Judaism, during prayer service, we not only sing in unison, but we also move and sway, and during festivities, we dance and sing songs together, and all this builds a very strong connection between people. Now that I belong to a synagogue, I am also a member of a community and when I attend a prayer service or holiday, I feel very connected to the other members of the synagogue and other Jewish people as a whole. It makes me feel safer and more confident in my own identity. If before I was afraid to publicly demonstrate my jewish heritage, now I proudly wear my star of David necklace and speak freely of my religious rituals like attending prayer service, lighting shabbat candles and keeping kosher. When you  belong to a community of other like-minded people you feel brave and assertive and you know others have your back.

Alright, next on the list is learning what’s right and wrong in the formative years. This topic occupies my mind on a regular basis since I have two little ones at home and I want them to grow to be model citizens. Although religion is not the only way for people to learn to behave ethically, it IS one of the oldest and probably most effective means of encouraging good behavior. In his book, DeSteno mentions a famous anthropological study that revealed a correlation between people’s belief in God and fairness. The scientists found that those who believed in an omniscient, moralistic God were much less likely to cheat people and to share their money more. In another study, scientists asked their subjects to compose a prayer before taking a quiz and they found that those who believed in God and said a prayer were much more honest than their counterpart. Moreover, what religion does for people is provide constant reminders to behave all the time, because let’s face it, it’s easy to forget or ignore what we're supposed to believe until we’re reminded. This is especially true in Judaism because we have hundreds of mitzvahs that we are supposed to observe that do just that - remind us to follow God’s commandments, to be kind, to be fair, to be honest, etc. One of the mitzvahs is to have a mezuzah on each doorpost of the house. Why? Because every time we see it and kiss it, we are reminded that God is around us and that we should behave in his presence. My seven year old son knows all this and there is a mezuzah on the doorpost of his room, and every time someone walks into his room he makes sure we’ve kissed the mezuzah, otherwise we cannot enter. It makes me happy to see my kids practice such rituals because were it not for our religious practice, it would be more difficult to teach them moral behavior, which requires self-control and is not easy for kids or adults. By the time my kids become adults, I want them to comprehend that while it’s natural to do what feels good in the here and now, overindulging in things that bring immediate pleasure, like sex, food, careless spending or even violence, usually leads to ruin in the long run. Self-control is a powerful skill and one that is of most importance for a successful life. So my kids are learning self-control at an early age, which is great because the earlier you acquire a skill in life the better you’ll be at it. For example, my kids know that Friday nights are shabbat and we need to stay at home to cook dinner, light candles and say blessings. When I tell them they cannot go to a party on Friday night, they respect that. Or when I tell them that part of their birthday gift is going to donation, they understand the importance of sharing and giving to charity. Examples are many, but it is the feelings of gratitude, awe and elevation in particular that guide our moral perceptions and actions. And what’s important to underline here is that links between these emotions and religion emerge as early as 4 years of age, and if they are honed and encouraged, with age, individuals will have an easier time maneuvering life. When faced with problems, they will have G-d to support them and everything else that comes with belief-  the power of prayer, the help of a community, answers from the Torah, and optimism to name a few. It’s interesting, too, that research has confirmed that reading or hearing religious texts and stories cause people to feel elevated - a feeling that is not only healing and inspiring to the individual, but one that motivates them to do good. If I can teach my kids now, when they are little, to find inspiration and consolation in sacred texts, then maybe when they are adults, instead of spending hours upon hours scrolling through tik tok, they will find value in reading the Torah every chance they get. They will know to turn to God in tough times and not drugs. 

  Next, I’d like to introduce an important life event in Judaism that further aids in the teenager’s continuation on the right path in life. It is the bar and bat mitzvah - the transition to adulthood and the assuming of new responsibilities. When explaining this tradition, DeSteno compares it to a very interesting concept - the self-fulfilling prophecy, a term coined by the sociologist Robert K. Merton to signal that a belief or prediction, whether or not it’s factually correct, could produce its expected outcome. The impact of self-fulfilling prophecies is usually strongest when multiple people hold the same expectations for a person, so this makes sense, too, for rites of passage, such as the Bar/bat Mitzvah. During this Jewish rite of passage, typically the community comes together to witness the boy or girl’s entering adolescence, proving publicly that after years of study and self-control they can now be treated as equals. In so doing, the simple act of expecting teens to behave more like adults increases their confidence and motivation to do so. Even though my son is only 7, he has been attending Sunday school for several years now and is already preparing for his Bar Mitzvah at age 13. I am already excited ahead of time and can picture him standing in front of our congregation, reading in Hebrew from the Torah, becoming a responsible, righteous adult. 

Another benefit of religion I’d like to bring up is that of the maintenance of the body. As DeSteno puts it, “religious practices use both preventive and restorative means to protect our bodies and minds against the ravages of age, injury, and disease.” Think of religion as receiving a constant booster shot that boosts the body’s and the mind’s resilience so that they can better confront wherever health challenges come their way. Overall, the Pew Research Center examined many of the world’s largest databases to study links between religion and well-being, and they reported that more people in the U.S. who actively practiced religion were in better health than those who were less engaged or unaffiliated with a religion. Firstly, those who actively participate in religion have a 29 per cent increase in survival rate, according to research by Mayo Clinic. In terms of heart health and blood pressure, religious people are much less likely to suffer from these ailments mostly due to the fact that religiosity calls for healthier diets, less smoking, less drinking, less stress, and less injuries due to a safer or sheltered lifestyle (less extreme sports or less careless behavior, for example driving fast). In regards to depression and anxiety, nearly seventy studies confirmed that regular participation in religious activities corresponds to decreased levels of anxiety. 

The last point I’ll look at today is death and grieving. In religion, there is a reminder of mortality built into the practice, so it becomes easier to deal with the concept of death and also to appreciate more each day that we’re given to live. In Judaism, there are the Days of Awe - the high holidays from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur that represent the cycle of life. Every year we celebrate Rosh Hashanah, or the New Year, commemorating the creation of humankind, and we end the days of Awe on Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, which reminds us of the inevitable death. An important ritual during Yom Kippur is repentance: we must not only regret a transgression or wrong-doing, but also promise to G-d not to do it again. This promise to G-d makes us feel empowered to change our ways and do better in the future, while the reminder of death keeps us focused on what’s really significant and fulfilling in life, on true sources of lasting happiness - G-d, family, and service to others. When death does reach our family or community, there are practices in religion that help ease the pain of losing a loved one. First off, the idea that our soul lives on, makes death feel more like a transition than the end. Believing in the all-loving G-d that created us and will take care of us after our death, makes the transition easier. Then, there are the rituals of the bereavement period divided into three parts: aninut, shiva and sheloshim. The first step is deep sorrow, which lasts until the burial. As a marker of pain, close family members may tear a garment or pin a torn black ribbon to their clothing. Burial comes quickly and then begins shiva - seven days of mourning. During this time, it’s a commandment for family and friends to provide food and other support to the grieving. The mourners cover all the mirrors in their house and light a special candle in remembrance of the deceased. During the seven days, mourners are not to preoccupy themselves with shaving, styling their hair or putting on their best outfits. They are to sit low to the ground and pray several times a day. As DeSteno points out, from a psychological point of view, all the elements of shiva help a grieving mind. For example, covering the mirrors turns out to be a proven psychological tool as researchers have demonstrated that looking into a mirror when one is sad intensifies the feeling of sadness. And as for sitting low to the ground, it is uncomfortable and often painful, so when you stand up after sitting for long periods of time, you experience relief - this is the genius part. Research shows that after repeatedly sitting low and then standing up, this repeated experience of mild pain followed by relief increases feelings of well-being, which reduce grief and rumination. The final stage of mourning is Sheloshim, which literally means 30, is a transition period between deep sadness and re-entering the world. This is a gradual process during which the bereaved start to integrate with the outside world once again. They are not expected to attend joyful celebrations during this time, and at the end of this period there is a memorial service in honor of the deceased to reinforce the positive memories of them. As you can see, everything is carefully thought of in religion, all we should do is follow the 6-thousand year old teachings. A couple years ago, we lost a friend of ours to cancer, he was in his mid 40’s, a father to 2 kids. Although we were not very religious at the time and neither was our friend, some Jewish traditions were still kept alive. There was a Jewish funeral, our friend was buried in a Jewish cemetery, we delivered food to our friend’s family, we helped them run errands, we organized memorials and lit memorial candles. I wish I had known then what I know now about shiva and the other stages of mourning, I think this information might have helped the bereaved.

There are many more benefits to religion that I could explore. I am hoping that this episode inspires you to do your own research and try these practices and rituals for yourself.

In conclusion, the practice of religion offers an impressive, time-tested array of psychological technologies that augment our biology to help us solve problems that biological adaptation alone hasn’t been able to solve. So why forsake the numerous, priceless tools available to us in religion? While many people don’t want anything to do with religion, findings from the Pew Research Center demonstrates that the number of people identifying as spiritual is going up. This means that people are yearning for God, for that which our fast-paced material world cannot provide them. Hey, I was there just a year ago myself. I identified as spiritual because I was afraid to become religious, because of all the bad press religion gets. But once I crossed that threshold from spiritual to religious, my life took on a whole new meaning and I couldn’t be happier with my decision. I am evermore confident, healthy, and happy, and I am going to continue sharing my experience in hopes of inspiring others to give religion a chance. If you have any questions or comments that you’d like to share, please reach out me through email or social media and I will address them in future episodes! THank you so much for listening! I will leave you with a poem by Adeline Foster titled “ If There Be No God”. Enjoy and until next time!

If there be no God,
Then all the stars, that in their place
Have aeons roamed abroad,
Would long ago have lost the trace
Of orbits-if there be no God.

If there be no God,
Then justice in the heart of man
Would be a fake-a senseless fraud;
Each for himself alone would stand-
No honor-if there be no God.

Adeline Foster