Having sex makes you more likely to believe in God, according to science

We've all heard about shifting heaven and earth beneath the sheets. Now it turns out the two are related.

Researchers at Duke University have found that having sex could inspire belief and increase existing belief in God, particularly among males.

Sex and nakedness release 'oxytocin', a hormone which helps control moods and create intimacy between couples.

So how does this relate to belief in the big guy/gal upstairs?

Research assistant professor Dr Patty Van Capellen has highlighted the link between well being and likelihood of one's religiosity:

We were interested in understanding biological factors that may enhance those spiritual experiences...Oxytocin appears to be part of the way our bodies support spiritual beliefs.

As sex is something that makes you feel this way, the North Carolina scientists believe it could contribute to feelings of spirituality among men.

The results were published online in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience.

They showed that oxytocin prompted more positive emotions, such as 'awe, gratitude, hope, inspiration, love, and serenity', all emotions previously associated with spirituality.

Men who were given oxytocin were more likely to say that spirituality was important in their lives and that they had meaning and purpose.

Another finding of the study was that this dose of hormone affected one type of person more than others.

Anyone with a gene called 'CD38' experienced higher levels of spirituality.

As the hormone (which is relased for women during child birth and breast feeding) affects women differently, and Van Capellen stressed that a separate investigation of women and oxytocin was needed.

HT Mirror

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