People genuinely engaged in spiritual practice live longer, report more meaning, and experience significantly less depression. The data are remarkably clear. And yet, more people are leaving organized religion than at any point in modern history. David DeSteno has spent his career studying what he calls spiritual technologies, the rituals and practices embedded in faith traditions that science is now showing work on our minds and bodies in powerful, measurable ways.
Key takeaways:
- Spiritual Practice Has Measurable Benefits: Genuine religious engagement is associated with 30 percent lower all-cause mortality, greater meaning, and reduced depression, outcomes that science is only beginning to fully explain.
- Rituals Work on the Brain and Body: Practices like contemplating death, cultivating gratitude, and moving in synchrony with others produce real neurological and behavioral changes.
Good Life Project shares powerful stories and science-backed wisdom for living a purposeful life. New episodes usually air every Monday and Thursday.
