A new study claims that having sex leads to believing in God. Researchers at Duke University in North Carolina claim that sex inspires spirituality and raises, or strengthens, religious beliefs.
The reason behind this discovery is the existence of the hormone of love, that is, oxytocin. The latter, released during the sexual act, during childbirth and nursing, not only promotes an altruistic social bond but also the search for a direct relationship with the divinity. This is particularly apparent in men.
Volunteers who participated in the research have taken drugs containing oxytocin. After the assumption of the love hormone, they reported an immediate increase in the sense of spirituality and faith in God. And it's not all because their feelings are continued for at least a week. Starting from these results, scientists have put together two actions that are very far apart: having sex and believing in God.
Duke University researchers were interested in understanding the biological factors that can enhance spiritual experiences. And oxytocin seems to fall within the way our bodies induce us to believe in God. To test his chemical reaction, they gave the volunteers some hormones, others only a placebo. Men who have taken a dose of love hormone, spontaneously released following orgasm, have been more likely to claim that spirituality is a preponderant part of their life.
.jpg)
They also expressed a feeling of closeness and empathy with other people and with all living beings. Sex and oxytocin therefore generate more positive emotions such as amazement, gratitude, hope, inspiration, love, and serenity.
But it does not all affect the same way: those with a specific gene, called CD38, which regulates the release of hormone in the brain, in fact have a more amplified response. This is for males. Women, on the other hand, naturally produce more oxytocin, but its effects on spirituality have yet to be investigated.
.jpg)
Makes some sense. Oxytocin, 'the cuddling hormone', should be reducing the ego and increasing general empathy, which would generally align with feelings of oneness and understanding.
However, since it is linked to orgasm, that would imply it would also kick in through masturbation and pornography...
Congratulations! This post has been upvoted from the communal account, @minnowsupport, by kakaroth from the Minnow Support Project. It's a witness project run by aggroed, ausbitbank, teamsteem, theprophet0, and someguy123. The goal is to help Steemit grow by supporting Minnows and creating a social network. Please find us in the Peace, Abundance, and Liberty Network (PALnet) Discord Channel. It's a completely public and open space to all members of the Steemit community who voluntarily choose to be there.
If you like what we're doing please upvote this comment so we can continue to build the community account that's supporting all members.