Logo for How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality

PRX

While religion and science often seem at odds, there’s one thing they can agree on: people who take part in spiritual practices tend to live longer, healthier, and happier lives. The big question is: Why? In How God Works, professor Dave DeSteno takes us on a journey to find out how spirituality impacts our minds and bodies, as well as the world in which we live.

He speaks to leading scientists and philosophers, religious thinkers, and thought leaders to explore what we can learn from the world’s faith traditions to help us meet some of life’s biggest challenges. Along the way, he’ll look at how we can adapt and use spiritual practices in our own lives, whatever our beliefs, including none at all.

It’s by working across the boundaries that usually divide us – science versus religion, one faith versus another – that we’ll find new ways to make life better for everyone.

David DeSteno

While religion and science often seem at odds, there’s one thing they can agree on: people who take part in spiritual practices tend to live longer, healthier, and happier lives. The big question is: Why? In How God Works, professor Dave DeSteno takes us on a journey to find out how spirituality impacts our minds and bodies, as well as the world in which we live.

He speaks to leading scientists and philosophers, religious thinkers, and thought leaders to explore what we can learn from the world’s faith traditions to help us meet some of life’s biggest challenges. Along the way, he’ll look at how we can adapt and use spiritual practices in our own lives, whatever our beliefs, including none at all.

It’s by working across the boundaries that usually divide us – science versus religion, one faith versus another – that we’ll find new ways to make life better for everyone.

David DeSteno
35hr 48min
Thumbnail for "How God Works… for Animals? ".
When it comes to how we treat other animals, humanity’s track record is spotty at best. Has it always been that way? And how do the beliefs we hold about animals shape how we treat them? Are they really as different from us as Western culture has long suggested?
May 13, 202436min 46sec88.18 MB
Thumbnail for " Rethinking Sin".
For many people, the word “sin” is associated with harsh judgment and shame. Or, it’s used to talk about guilty pleasures like consuming decadent desserts... But is this concept as harmful or outdated as it seems?
September 15, 202437min 14sec89.39 MB
Thumbnail for "Season 7 Trailer".
Season 7 of How God Works is starting next week!
September 8, 20241min 43sec4.13 MB
Thumbnail for "Making God Real (2022)".
Have you ever heard a voice, seen an image, or felt a presence around you that you couldn’t explain? If you have, you’re not alone.
August 25, 202437min 50sec90.83 MB
Thumbnail for "Death (2022)".
Embracing the Last Transition
August 11, 202433min 51sec81.26 MB
Thumbnail for "Transcendence (2021)".
Why Chemicals Need Rituals
July 28, 202426min 38sec63.93 MB
Thumbnail for "A Holiday From Tech Addiction (2022)".
Time with family, friends and loved ones is supposed to be at the center of the holiday season … but in our screen-dominated world, how many of us can say that’s still true?
July 14, 202438min 31sec92.47 MB
Thumbnail for "How God Works Survey!".
Hey Listeners, we want to hear from you!
June 24, 202432sec1.32 MB
Thumbnail for "The Spiritual (and Political) Crisis in the US".
Anger, loneliness, and despair are hitting record levels in the US. Our social and political fabrics are fraying. Is the turn away from religion in the US part of the problem?
June 10, 202439min 9sec93.99 MB
Thumbnail for "Live Event: Can Religion & Science Get Along in the 21st Century?".
Science and religion can often seem at loggerheads. But does it have to be that way?
May 27, 202450min 8sec120.25 MB
Thumbnail for "Modern Witchcraft".
Do you feel connected to nature’s rhythms and the peace that they provide? Are cooking, crafting, or other small daily rituals a form of spell work or spirituality for you? If you’re a witch, the answers are a definite yes.
April 29, 202429min 50sec71.56 MB
Thumbnail for "Tiny Religions".
On this episode, we ask: What’s it like to be a member of a tiny religion in a world dominated by “Big God”? 
April 15, 202437min 44sec90.5 MB
Thumbnail for "U.F.Whoa!".
Religion is often about powerful beings coming down from the skies and humans yearning to go up to join them. Does that mean we can swap aliens in for God? More and more people seem to think so.
April 1, 202434min 5sec81.75 MB
Thumbnail for "The Power of Pilgrimage".
What makes a trip a pilgrimage? And why have people from across the globe made these treks for millennia?
March 18, 202436min 55sec88.63 MB
Thumbnail for "Is War Holy?".
Is religion a source of conflict, or a way to end it?
March 4, 202432min 58sec79.15 MB
Thumbnail for "Season 6 Trailer".
Season 6 of How God Works is starting next week!
February 26, 20241min 49sec4.39 MB
Thumbnail for "How God Works Presents: No Small Endeavor with Lee C. Camp".
Hey How God Works listeners! While we’re hard at work on Season 6, we’d like to invite you to check out No Small Endeavor, a podcast that explores what it means to live a good life, hosted by professor of theology and ethics Lee C. Camp.
January 28, 202449min 30sec118.73 MB
Thumbnail for "Finding Hope in Dark Times".
Surveys show feelings of sadness and despair peaked in 2023. So as we look to the new year, it's understandable why any of us might be feeling pessimistic, even hopeless. But these feelings aren't written in stone. We always have a choice. It's in these darkest of times, when all feels lost, that hope helps us find our way...not just to heal ourselves, but also the world around us.
December 31, 202334min 29sec82.73 MB
Thumbnail for "Religion & Mental Health Part 2: Addiction".
When it comes to treating addiction, twelve-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous are some of the most often used in the US. But while twelve-step programs have several components, one of the most central is surrendering control to a higher power. But how important is that idea? Does relying on a divine influence help or hurt? And might there be other routes to recovery? 
December 17, 202336min 13sec86.96 MB
Thumbnail for "Religion & Mental Health Part 1: Psychotherapy".
For most of the past 200 years, religion and psychiatry didn’t get along too well.  Or so the story goes. But if you go back far enough, the two have more in common than you might think.
December 3, 202331min 22sec30.12 MB
Thumbnail for "Every Breath You Take".
It’s no accident that the Hebrew word for breath is the same as the word for spirit (ruach). Breath doesn’t just give us life: it helps regulate everything from vital organ functions to cognition and emotional states.
November 19, 202339min 25sec94.64 MB
Thumbnail for "Touching the Transcendent".
We’ve all heard of spiritual experiences – moments of feeling intense awe and deep love and connection. People who’ve had them – and it’s a lot more than you might think – see them as some of the most profound moments of their lives.
November 5, 202334min 11sec82.06 MB
Thumbnail for "Introducing: Mother is a Question".
Today we’re featuring an episode from the new PRX podcast Mother is a Question.
October 29, 202346min 35sec111.83 MB
Thumbnail for "From Two Spirit to Bissu, Gender Diversity Has Deep Roots".
Around the world, gender diversity isn't the exception; it's fairly common. It’s also not a new invention.
October 22, 202338min 49sec93.17 MB
Thumbnail for "Queer and Here!".
Christianity and Judaism have had long standing theological concerns with LGBTQ+ issues. BUT from the Vatican to certain Jewish denominations, there are movements afoot to be more open, tolerant, and accepting.
October 8, 202337min 22sec89.69 MB
Thumbnail for "Seeking Silence".
When’s the last time you actually heard silence? We’re flooded with noise everyday, so much so that we don’t even realize it. And it's not just bad for our ears, it's not great for our health or wellbeing either. We’ll take a look at how noise (and its absence) affect the workings of our mind and our emotions.
September 24, 202340min 34sec97.39 MB
Thumbnail for "Season 5 of How God Works is Coming".
How God Works is coming back to your feed on September 24th! Tune in this season as we tackle topics like the value of silence, how different faiths view gender and sexuality, the power of mystical experience and connecting to the breath, and much more.
September 17, 20231min 43sec4.15 MB
Thumbnail for "Is Burning Man a Party or a Pilgrimage? (2022)".
Every year, thousands of people head to Nevada's Black Rock Desert for a week at Burning Man. And while from the outside, it might seem like a place for partying, drugs, and debauchery, to many, it offers something deeper, even life changing.
August 27, 202338min 19sec91.97 MB
Thumbnail for "Soul-ercise ".
The lights are dimmed, candles are lit, bodies begin to sway together as the voice from the stage says a spirit-lifting, soul-stirring affirmation…and then screams “Now sprint for 10!”. 
July 9, 202334min 54sec83.78 MB
Thumbnail for "What’s Old is New Again".
It's not news that the US is becoming more secular. People have been drifting away from religion for decades, and that trend is accelerating right now in people under 40. But there is a small but growing trend in those same generations of people who are seeking just the opposite.
June 25, 202333min 40sec80.83 MB
Thumbnail for "Can Ancient Wisdom Help Gen Z's Stress & Unhappiness?".
For decades, studies from around the globe showed that happiness followed a U-shaped curve across the lifespan. For many people, the teens and twenties were some of the happiest and most carefree times of life — a period to be enjoyed before happiness began to drop and hit its low point around 50. BUT, over the past 10 years, a seismic change has taken place. The front end of the happiness curve collapsed, meaning that teens and twenties are now the most unhappy time of life.
June 11, 202345min 10sec108.43 MB
Thumbnail for "Moving Beyond Us vs Them".
Hate and prejudice based on ethnicity, religion, gender and sexual orientation are all too common in our world. But are we doomed to be this way? Or is it possible to create a world where cooperation and peace are the norm? 
May 28, 202338min 6sec91.45 MB
Thumbnail for "Sacred Sound".
On this episode we’ll take a look at what’s going on in our brains and bodies when we sing sacred songs together... or listen to jazz. And why from Jewish nigunim to John Coltrane, music can deepen our connection with the divine, each other, and even with ourselves.
May 14, 202338min 23sec92.13 MB
Thumbnail for "The Flow of Craft".
What do we get out of making things with our hands?
April 30, 202335min 53sec86.16 MB
Thumbnail for "God is Green".
When it comes to protecting the environment and addressing climate change, religion has had mixed results. Why is that?
April 16, 202337min 2sec88.89 MB
Thumbnail for "The Power of Awe".
Awe fills us with wonder -- we feel small in the face of things that seem vast, inspiring, almost beyond comprehension. So it makes sense that spiritual experiences often inspire awe. But new science is showing it can also work the other way around.  
April 2, 202329min 54sec71.78 MB
Thumbnail for "Season 4 Trailer".
Season 4 is coming on Sunday, April 2!
March 26, 20231min 50sec4.41 MB
Thumbnail for "From The Happiness Lab: Yoga of the Mind".
While we’re working on Season 4, we wanted to share a special episode from another podcast we love, The Happiness Lab.
March 20, 202338min 40sec92.83 MB
Thumbnail for "How to be a Great Ancestor".
What do we owe future humans? In principle, it seems obvious that we should do what we can to make life better for the generations that follow, just as our ancestors did for us. But while most of us agree that doing this is the right thing, it can be hard to put into practice while also avoiding some of the pitfalls that often afflict growing philosophies like effective altruism and longtermism.
February 5, 202335min 46sec85.85 MB
Thumbnail for "Grief: Moving Through Loss (2022)".
Sooner or later, most of us experience grief from losing someone we love. It’s always painful, and sometimes even debilitating. But there is plenty we can do to help ourselves and others be resilient.
January 22, 202334min 27sec82.69 MB
Thumbnail for "Uniter or Divider? Explore Religion in Modern America. A How God Works Live Event.".
If you ask people what they think about religion, you often get one of two answers: Religion is the source of war, violence, abuse, and hypocrisy OR a route to love, kindness, tolerance, and mercy.
January 8, 20231hr 23min199.71 MB
Thumbnail for "A Holiday from Tech Addiction".
Time with family, friends and loved ones is supposed to be at the center of the holiday season… but in our screen-dominated world, how many of us can say that’s still true?
December 25, 202239min 8sec93.94 MB
Thumbnail for "How to Forgive".
‘Tis the season for giving and…forgiving. But while forgiveness is something to which we often aspire, it can be harder than it seems at times.
December 11, 202232min 51sec78.86 MB
Thumbnail for "How God Works Live Event!".
Join us for the very first How God Works live event this Wednesday, December 7th at 7:30pm, at The Greene Space in New York.
December 4, 20221min 4sec2.6 MB
Thumbnail for "How to Fix Work".
Work is becoming a “religion” for many people these days. It’s worship of the efficient, productive, and almighty dollar. But that doesn’t make people very happy. And organizations filled with miserable employees aren’t ideal for making the world a better place either. Can anything be done to fix it?
November 27, 202235min 39sec85.57 MB
Thumbnail for "Religion and Robots and AI…Oh My!".
Can you pray with a robot? Will people worship AI like a god? It's not science fiction. It's starting to happen now. But what does it mean if robots become priests, or AIs start offering ethical advice? And how do we know when to trust them?
November 13, 202235min 34sec85.4 MB
Thumbnail for "Making God Real".
Have you ever heard a voice, seen an image, or felt a presence around you that you couldn’t explain? If you have, you’re not alone.
October 30, 202237min 25sec89.84 MB
Thumbnail for "How God Works Live Event!".
Join us for the very first How God Works live event on Wednesday, December 7 at The Greene Space in New York.
October 23, 20221min 3sec2.56 MB
Thumbnail for "Is Burning Man a Party or a Pilgrimage?".
Every year, thousands of people head to Nevada's Black Rock Desert for a week at Burning Man. And while from the outside, it might seem like a place for partying, drugs, and debauchery, to many, it offers something deeper, even life changing.
October 16, 202237min 43sec90.56 MB
Thumbnail for "Season Three Trailer".
How God Works will be back with Season 3 starting October 16th. 
October 2, 20221min 32sec3.7 MB
Thumbnail for "Death: Embracing the Last Transition".
As a society that fears death, we tend to avoid the subject. But the key to having a positive end-of-life experience might come in doing just the opposite.
May 22, 202232min 56sec79.05 MB
Thumbnail for "Grief: Moving Through Loss".
Sooner or later, most of us experience grief from losing someone we love. It’s always painful, and sometimes even debilitating. But there is plenty we can do to help ourselves and others be resilient.
May 8, 202231min 37sec75.91 MB
Thumbnail for "Midlife: Leaning Into the Change".
Data shows that for many people, happiness takes a big dip around 50. But aging doesn’t have to be a crisis if we can figure out how to embrace who we’re becoming rather than hanging on to who we used to be.
April 24, 202235min 51sec86.04 MB
Thumbnail for "Relationships and Marriage (Part 2): Keeping the Fire Burning".
To hear Hollywood tell it, good sex is a clothes-ripping race to the finish line, often between people who barely know each other. But the version we’re getting from movies and pop culture isn’t what it takes to build real intimacy, trust, and connection in the long term.
April 10, 202230min 44sec73.8 MB
Thumbnail for "Relationships and Marriage (Part 1): Finding the Right Balance".
The definition of a “good” marriage has changed drastically over time and today it seems our expectations for our partner are higher than ever.  We want a best friend, intellectual equal, lover, and for many, a sensational co-parent who can also touch our soul. Which is a lot of pressure to put on one person!
March 27, 202226min 7sec62.7 MB
Thumbnail for "Adolescence: How to Build an Adult".
When you're a teenager, you're kind of between two worlds. You're leaving the comforts and carefree days of childhood behind and stepping into the challenges and responsibilities adulthood brings. But when exactly should you make that change?
March 13, 202234min 44sec83.37 MB
Thumbnail for "Childhood: Growing the Moral Muscle".
Do children need religion to grow into ethical, caring adults? Sixty-five percent of Americans think so, but the relationship between religion and morality is a nuanced one.
February 27, 202235min 12sec84.5 MB
Thumbnail for "Birth: Getting Off to Good Start".
For all the joys a new child brings, it can also be a trying time filled with stresses, worries, and for some, depression. Long before new parents turned to books and blogs for advice, they turned to traditional practices and community for support.
February 13, 202231min 13sec74.92 MB
Thumbnail for "New Year, New You, Take 2!".
By this time every year, more than 25% of resolutions have already been broken. In this bonus episode, Dave will share three tips to get you back on track.
January 30, 202210min 37sec25.49 MB
Thumbnail for "Pain: The Benefits of Suffering".
Whether through painful public rituals or private sacrifices, suffering plays a role in many faiths.
January 9, 202231min 12sec74.9 MB
Thumbnail for "Giving Alms: Why Everybody Wins".
December concludes a season of gifts for many. And while it's undeniably enjoyable to get gifts, it’s not what brings us the most happiness.
December 26, 202131min 16sec75.04 MB
Thumbnail for "Healing Rituals: There’s Power in Belief".
A majority of people in the US believe that faith can heal. And while there isn’t any strong scientific data backing the idea of faith healing by divine intervention, there is a growing recognition that faith in the power of a person, religious ritual, or even medicine to heal can play a role in recovery via the placebo effect.
December 12, 202135min 47sec85.9 MB
Thumbnail for "Transcendence: Why Chemicals Need Rituals".
For centuries, Central and South American cultures have used psychedelics to induce mystical states. And while in the US they’ve mostly been used as recreational drugs, interest in their power to offer a rapid route to transcendence has recently been growing.
November 28, 202126min 27sec63.49 MB
Thumbnail for "Gratitude: Why Every Day Should Be Thanksgiving".
Most people think gratitude is an emotion about the past. But in reality, it’s all about the future.
November 14, 202131min 8sec74.74 MB
Thumbnail for "Contemplating Death: A Secret for Happiness".
COVID-19 has led to what’s being called The Great Resignation. People are leaving their jobs in record numbers, many to find more meaning in life or to spend more time with family and friends. As it turns out, realizing that death might not be as far off as it usually seems just might have something to do with that.
October 31, 202135min 14sec84.57 MB
Thumbnail for "Meditation: A Key to Kindness?".
We all value kindness. But showing it isn’t always easy. Buddhists recognized this problem long ago and developed what may be the world’s first and best tool for cultivating compassion: meditation.
October 17, 202137min 34sec90.17 MB
Thumbnail for "Religion's Toolbox".
Research shows that spiritual practices tend to make people happier and healthier. The question is: Why?
October 3, 202135min 2sec84.12 MB
Thumbnail for "Season 1 Trailer".
Coming October 3 from PRX Productions.
September 26, 20211min 45sec4.24 MB

How God Works… for Animals?

Thumbnail for "How God Works… for Animals? ".
May 13, 202436min 46sec

When it comes to how we treat other animals, humanity’s track record is spotty at best. Has it always been that way? And how do the beliefs we hold about animals shape how we treat them? Are they really as different from us as Western culture has long suggested?

Join Dave as he speaks with anthropologist Dave Aftandilian about how different religious traditions may play a role in influencing the way people relate to other animals, and with biologist turned wildlife filmmaker and writer Tom Mustill about what the latest advances in science are revealing about animals’ internal lives.


Dave Aftandilian is founding Director of the Human-Animal Relationships program at Texas Christian University, and the lead editor of the recently published Animals and Religion. Find out about his other publications and activities here. The storytellers Dave mentions during the episode are Mary Ulmer Chiltoskey and Basil Johnston. And the audio of Koyukon people talking about animals and hunting is from the excellent documentary series Make Prayers to the Raven, available on YouTube.

Tom Mustill is the author of How To Speak Whale: The Power and Wonder of Speaking To Animals. Find out more about his other work, including several films and a podcast, on his website. Thanks again to Tom for sharing his recordings of whale song with us for this episode.

For listeners interested in reading more about animal welfare, we recommend checking out Vox writer Kenny Torrella’s work. If you’re wondering where to donate to help reduce animal suffering, start here.

Also, here are two recent New York Times articles on topics related to this episode:

Thumbnail for "How God Works… for Animals? ".
How God Works… for Animals?
00:00
36:46