Good Life Project The Science Behind Why Religion Actually Works | David DeSteno
Apr 27, 2026
David DeSteno, Northeastern psychology professor and author of How God Works, studies moral behavior and spiritual practices. He explores why active religious engagement boosts health and meaning. He explains rituals like gratitude, synchrony, and death contemplation, warns about stripping practices from their contexts, and considers how midlife shifts toward sharing wisdom and building new communal rituals.
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Engagement Not Just Belief Drives Health
- Religious or spiritual engagement predicts major health benefits beyond mere belief.
- Active practices (attending services, meditating) link to ~30% lower all-cause mortality and less depression over 15 years.
Belief Helps In Specific Ways
- Belief matters in specific domains like death anxiety and addiction recovery but practices amplify effects.
- Faith reduces death anxiety for believers and supports 12-step style recovery when paired with active rituals.
Rituals Rewire Body To Receive Teaching
- Rituals change physiology to make moral teachings more receptive.
- Chanting or meditating slows breathing to ~6 breaths/min, signaling safety via the vagus nerve and increasing receptivity to prosocial teachings.
