Science & Health Benefits of Belief in God & Religion | Dr. David DeSteno
Andrew Huberman
Aug 25, 2025
Mindsip insights from this episode:
Utilize mirror covering to manage emotional intensity during mourning
The Jewish mourning ritual of covering mirrors is supported by modern psychology, which shows that looking in a mirror intensifies your current emotional state.
Explore ancient religious practices for modern life hacks
The speaker proposes "religio prospecting," which involves scientifically studying ancient religious practices to find effective tools for human flourishing, much like bioprospecting sought new medicines.
Engage in religious faith to reduce mortality by 30%
Engaging with religious faith over a 15-20 year period can cut all-cause mortality by 30% and reduce deaths from cancer and cardiovascular disease by 25%.
Leverage religious community for greater health benefits
While any community is beneficial for health, the positive effect size is significantly larger for religious communities compared to secular ones like a bowling club.
Confront uncertainty to alleviate death anxiety
The people who are most anxious about death are not firm believers or atheists, but those who are uncertain about the existence of an afterlife.
Practice gratitude to enhance honesty and reduce cheating
A simple five-minute gratitude exercise of counting your blessings was shown to reduce the cheating rate in a lab experiment from around 30% down to just 2%.
Engage in religious practices to unlock health benefits
The significant health benefits associated with religion are not found in people who simply believe in God but in those who are actively engaged in religious practices.
Try first to gain understanding later
The Hebrew saying "na'aseh v'nishma" suggests that understanding the benefits of a practice often comes only after you start doing it, so it's better to try things first rather than waiting for perfect logical clarity.
Engage in motor synchrony to enhance empathy and compassion
Moving in unison with others, a practice called motor synchrony common in religious services, is a powerful, non-conscious cue to the brain that increases empathy and compassion.
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