Could a hormone associated with social bonding influence how people experience spirituality? Researchers at Duke University in the United States explored that question in a study examining oxytocin and spiritual feelings.
The research, reported by Pulse Uganda on January 31, 2023, found that men who received oxytocin reported higher levels of spirituality on two measures than participants who received a placebo. The researchers also recorded reports of more positive emotions during meditation.
The findings offer an interesting perspective on the biological factors that may influence spiritual experiences. However, they do not establish that sexually active people are closer to God or that oxytocin determines a person’s religious beliefs.
What is oxytocin, and how does it work?
Oxytocin is a hormone produced in the brain that plays an important role in childbirth and breastfeeding. It is also involved in social bonding and has been studied for its potential influence on trust, empathy and other aspects of social behaviour.
The body can release oxytocin during intimate physical contact, including sexual activity. However, its effects are complex and can vary depending on the individual and the circumstances.
Because oxytocin is associated with social connection, researchers have investigated whether it might also influence how people experience spirituality, meaning and their relationships with others.
What did the Duke University study find?
The study described in the Pulse report was led by social psychologist Patty Van Cappellen and involved middle-aged men who received either oxytocin or a placebo.
According to the report, participants who received oxytocin reported increased spirituality on two separate measures. They also described more positive emotions while meditating, and the reported effects persisted for a week after the study.
Participants who received the placebo did not report comparable changes in spirituality.
The oxytocin group included people with different religious affiliations, as well as people who did not identify with a religion. Some participants reported stronger agreement with ideas about life’s meaning and purpose, the importance of spirituality and the interconnectedness of life.
The findings were published in the academic journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, according to the source report.
These results suggest that oxytocin may influence some aspects of self-reported spirituality. They do not demonstrate that the hormone makes people more religious, proves the existence of a higher power or produces the same effects in everyone.
Does having sex make people more spiritual?
The study does not directly answer that question.
Although oxytocin can be released during sexual activity, the experiment described in the report involved administering the hormone to participants. It did not test whether people who have sex more frequently experience stronger spiritual feelings than those who are less sexually active.
That distinction matters. A finding about the effects of administering a hormone cannot automatically be applied to every activity that may naturally trigger its release.
The research also does not establish that oxytocin released during sex produces the same effects as the administered dose used in the experiment.
Consequently, the headline suggesting that sexually active people might be closer to God goes beyond what the reported experiment demonstrates.
What did the researchers say about spirituality?
Van Cappellen cautioned against drawing overly broad conclusions from the findings.
As quoted by Pulse, she explained that spirituality is complex and influenced by multiple factors, while oxytocin may affect how people perceive the world and what they believe.
This qualification is important because spirituality can involve personal meaning, a sense of connection, religious practice, meditation and individual beliefs. These experiences cannot necessarily be explained by a single hormone.
The study provides one avenue for investigating the biological dimensions of spirituality, rather than a definitive explanation for religious belief.
Why the findings matter
Research into oxytocin and spirituality may help scientists better understand the relationship between biology, emotions and human experiences of connection.
It also raises questions about how hormones interact with social environments, personal beliefs and meditation. Further research would be needed to establish how broadly the findings apply, whether similar effects occur in other populations and how biological influences interact with cultural and personal factors.
For readers interested in the subject, related topics include [the role of oxytocin in social bonding], [the science behind meditation] and [how hormones influence human behaviour].
The bottom line
A Duke University study reported that middle-aged men who received oxytocin experienced increases in self-reported spirituality compared with a placebo group. The findings suggest a possible biological influence on some spiritual experiences, but they do not prove that sexual activity makes people closer to God.
Spirituality remains a complex subject shaped by biological, psychological, cultural and personal factors. More research is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn about oxytocin’s role in religious beliefs and spiritual experiences.