Religious rituals, from baptisms to communal prayer, may trigger the release of opioids in the brain, according to a recent study. These naturally occurring chemicals are associated with feelings of pain relief, reward, and pleasure, and are also produced when individuals use substances like heroin or prescription painkillers.
The findings support the theory that religious rituals evolved as a mechanism for large groups to foster social cohesion. The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, observed 265 adults across 24 religious groups in the UK and Brazil. Participants attended various Christian denominations, including Roman Catholic, Methodist, Church of England, Baptist, and Evangelical groups. The observed rituals typically involved prayer, communal singing, periods of congregational communication, and a leader addressing the assembly.
Researchers assessed participants' feelings of connection to their community, their mood, and their pain threshold before and after religious services. Post-ritual, individuals reported increased feelings of trust, closeness, and connection with others in their congregation. They also experienced more positive emotions and fewer negative ones. Notably, participants demonstrated a higher tolerance for pain after the ritual compared to before, suggesting increased activity in the brain's opioid system.
According to the researchers, these feelings of bonding were driven by positive affect, a sense of connection to a higher power, and the increase in pain threshold, which acts as a proxy for mu-opioid activation. The study suggests that rituals allow large groups to form bonds that might otherwise require one-on-one interaction. This aligns with the Brain Opioid Theory of Social Attachment, which posits that interactions with loved ones can trigger a mild, natural opioid release, promoting feelings of warmth, safety, and deep emotional connection.
While the study did not directly compare religious rituals to illicit drug use, it noted that both activities involve the release of opioids. Recreational drugs directly interact with the brain's opioid receptors, producing euphoria, while other substances stimulate the brain to release its own natural opioids, creating a reward response. The research implies that the evolutionary advantage of rituals may stem from their ability to harness these natural neurochemical processes for social bonding.