By Michaela Gordoni
Oxford researchers discovered that humans have a natural instinct to believe in a God, and prayer actually reshapes our brains for the better.
Researchers studied people across several continents and found most kids who were raised without religion reported they believe that there’s a higher being who is all-knowing. Adults did too, according to Relevant. It doesn’t seem to matter where they are or what their income or history is — the results indicate that we instinctively want to believe that God exists.
One United Methodist pastor who prayed two hours each day for 25 years agrees: “I think we’re wired for the supernatural,” he said. “I think we’re meant to sense a world beyond our five senses. Come on! Taste and see that God really is good.”
Scientists found that faith activates an entire network of connections in the brain. Emotion, memory and empathy all fire on together. Those connections actively heighten the more you pray.
“The thing that has always been so striking to me is just how rich and diverse spiritual experiences are for people, how they activate so many different parts of the brain,” said neuroscientist Andrew Newberg.
“There isn’t just one part of the brain that makes us religious or spiritual. If there is a spiritual part of ourselves, it’s our entire brain and how it works when we have these deep experiences, because it seems to be a complex pattern of activity in different directions,” he said.
Those who spent regular time in prayer had higher activity in their prefrontal cortex, which helps with focus and decision-making, and their anterior cingulate cortex, which helps with empathy. The study shows that prayer actually strengthens the brain as the more you do it, the better your brain will be at staying emotionally grounded, less reactive and less stress-inclined.
Neuroscientist Richard Davidson calls this kind of brain transformation “neuroplasticity.”
“You can sculpt your brain just as you’d sculpt your muscles if you went to the gym,” he said. “Our brains are continuously being sculpted, whether you like it or not, wittingly or unwittingly.”
Related: Did You Know Movies Can Rewire Your Brain?
Candidates’ brains improved greatly after spending 30 minutes a day in prayer for four days a week. They had greater resilience, empathy and emotional regulation. The prayers that seem to have the strongest effect are ones about God’s love.
However, when people think about God’s wrath, the limbic system — the part of the brain geared for fear and survival — lights up. If most of your thoughts around God relate to fear, then the brain responds like He’s a threat.
Another study, from 2022, reported that those who prayed and had a positive relationship with God had better mental health than those who prayed and had a more fearful or troubled relationship with God.
It seems that by letting God into our hearts, He’s transforming our minds, too. And maybe it’s important to focus on the main thing that He’s all about — love.
Read Next: Candace Cameron Bure Reflects on Prayerful Living: ‘Just Talking to God’
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