The Science Behind Why Religion Actually Works | David DeSteno

About this episode

David DeSteno discusses the scientific benefits of spiritual practices and their impact on health and well-being.

People who are genuinely engaged in spiritual practice live longer, experience 30% lower all-cause mortality, report more meaning, and suffer less depression. The data are remarkably clear. And yet, more people are leaving organized religion than at any point in modern history. So what happens when we walk away from the institutions but still carry the hunger for what they provided? David DeSteno is a professor of psychology at Northeastern University who has spent his career studying the mechanisms behind moral behavior, social emotions, and what he calls spiritual technologies — the rituals and practices baked into faith traditions that science is now showing work on our minds and bodies in measurable, powerful ways, whether or not we believe in God. He is also the author of How God Works: The Science Behind the Benefits of Religion . We explore what the research actually shows about why religious engagement improves health outcomes so dramatically, the Hindu concept of vana prastha and why midlife may be the exact moment to shift from accumulating to sharing wisdom, how rituals like contemplating death, practicing gratitude, and moving in synchrony with others change our…

People in this episode

Host: Jonathan Fields

Guest: David DeSteno

Topics covered

• spiritual practice
• health outcomes
• moral behavior
• rituals
• psychology
• meaning in life

Keywords

• religion
• spirituality
• health
• psychology
• rituals
• meaning
• mortality

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Northeastern University

Books & works: How God Works: The Science Behind the Benefits of Religion

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