Faith in God reduces stress, says a university research

Faith in God reduces stress, says a university research


Having faith in God certainly helps! Researchers at the University of Toronto have found that believing in God can reduce stress and anxiety immensely. The result, published in Psychological Science, shows distinct brain differences between believers and nonbelievers.
Assistant psychology professor Michael Inzlicht, leader of the study, used a Stroop task, a psychological test that entailed hooking up participants to electrodes that measured their brain activity. The result showed that religious people were less afraid of facing the unknown or committing mistakes, says a report published in 7th Space.
Compared to non-believers, the religious participants in the study showed significantly less activity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a portion of the brain that helps modify behaviour by signalling when attention and control are needed, usually as a result of some anxiety-producing event like making a mistake.
The stronger their religious zeal, the less their ACC fired in response to their own errors, and the fewer errors they made.
“You could think of this part of the brain like a cortical alarm bell that rings when an individual has just made a mistake or experiences uncertainty,” Inzlicht said in an interview to a health journal.
He added that religious people or even people who simply believe in the existence of God showed significantly less brain activity in relation to their own errors.
Many researchers agree that believers tend to be happier, healthier, less stressed than compared to atheists, drink and smoke less and better at creating strong marriages and family support.
Hailing this research, Beato, author of The Power of Prayer, Endurance and Truth said,” I believe my life is less stressful because my belief in God,” says Beato. “God has given me support, hope and peace of mind anytime I’ve needed it."

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