If praying makes us feel good, resulting in us praying more, are spirituality and cult worship misunderstood types of addiction? Here's what the science says.

Regardless of your worldview, there is no denying the healing power of prayer, meditation, and/or spirituality.

But just like anything that can make you feel better, for example prayer, church, drugs, overeating, sex, and/or gambling, the more you participate in the behavior that triggers happiness in your body, the more dependent you become on that behavior in order to achieve happiness.

And if you engage in the behavior that makes you happier to the point that it begins to interfere with your life, or harms others, then that's when it may become an addiction. But prayer, faith, and spirituality as a misunderstood addiction?

An interesting thing about addiction and other similar compulsive disorders is that they have been found to be associated with a feeling of little to no control over one's life, and where the addictive or compulsive behavior overcompensates for the feeling of little to no control, by allowing the person experiencing the loss of control to at least control their happiness with compulsive behaviors. 

But what is happiness, and what role does repetitive behavior play in achieving happiness?

From a neurobiological and biochemical perspective, it is access to "happy molecules", including but not limited to endorphins (pain relief molecule), serotonin (confidence molecule), oxytocin (bonding molecule), Endocannabinoids (bliss molecule), adrenaline (energy molecule), dopamine (reward molecule), GABA (anti-anxiety molecule), and/or other molecules.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201211/the-neurochemicals-of-happiness

And to be able to access these molecules, people engage in prayer, mediation, spirituality, drug use, exercise, sex, food consumption, beverage consumption, organizing, buying, gambling, and/or other repetitive behaviors or rituals.

Prayer

With respect to prayer, "“Rituals in general serve a calming function,” Bremner said. “They distract the mind which might otherwise go down one of those rabbit holes of useless worry, and they give us a sense of influence or control over something that may not be ultimately controllable.”

Mental Health

A 2009 study on the effects of prayer on depression and anxiety found that members of a group had lower rates of depression and anxiety and were more optimistic after sessions in which they prayed for one another, compared to the control group (which had no prayer sessions).

Most findings on the health benefits of prayer have been from studies in which people prayed in groups (intercessory prayer). “There are strong associations between religiosity and both health and happiness, but they are only predicted by service attendance,” Bremner said ...

Secular Mediation

A study that compared secular and spiritual forms of meditation found that the spiritual meditation group was less anxious and more positive than the other groups. In secular meditation, participants centered on words or texts of self-affirmation. The spiritual meditation group focused on words that described the loving nature of God.

When participants submerged a hand in near-freezing water for an experiment, the spiritual meditation group tolerated the pain almost twice as long as the other groups.

A 2011 study found prayer can help reduce anger and aggression. In a series of experiments in which participants either prayed for or thought about a stranger, a person who angered them or a friend in need, members of the prayer group were more likely to feel less anger and aggression after a provocation.

Another study found that when dating and married partners prayed for one another, they tended to be less aggressive and more inclined to forgive.

“Prayer may help people see situations ‘in a new light’ or from a different perspective,” Ohio State University’s Bushman, coauthor of the 2011 study, said.

And behavior exhibited when praying is the opposite of entering the fight-or-flight response when there is danger or conflict, said Bremner, who was first author of the 2011 study. When you perceive danger, you’re keyed up and focused on the external world. When you pray, you’re internally focused and attempting to be calm and peaceful.

However, all types of prayer might not work in the same way — when hospitalized patients appraised God as a kind supporter, their mental and physical health improved. But when they perceived God as punishing or were angry with God, their health declined."

https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/17/health/benefits-of-prayer-wellness/index.html

"There is indeed research that’s looked extensively at the mental and emotional health effects of prayer, revealing a variety of positive outcomes.

Anxiety and Depression

Offering up worshipful thanks, for example, may calm anxiety. The 2023 study in the Journal of Religious Health associated devotional prayer (the kind that praises God) and prayer expectancy (or belief that God answers prayer) to lower anxiety. But, prayers that asked God for forgiveness and support were correlated with higher anxiety. (A questionnaire assessed which type of prayer people practiced, while anxiety was measured using a self-reported scale rating feelings of worry, tension, and restlessness.)

The uplifting nature of prayer and religious experience may also help alleviate symptoms of depression, according to a review in Postgraduate Medicine that looked at 41 clinical studies. Per that work, frequent private prayer was linked with significant benefits for depression, optimism, coping, and other mental health conditions like anxiety.

People with major depressive disorder or chronic medical illness who report high levels of religiosity, which includes daily religious experiences (like prayer), generally become more optimistic than their peers, according to a study published in Depression and Anxiety.

Connectedness

In addition to connecting with a higher power, prayer can create feelings of connectedness between the person praying and fellow believers. A review of 78 studies by Park and other researchers published in Cancer found that patients who reported a strong religious or spiritual life also maintained richer social connections.

Cardiovascular

Multiple studies have tackled prayer’s impact on physical health, and heart health in particular. A report published in Health Psychology found that when researchers followed 191 people with congestive heart failure for five years, those who reported feeling spiritual peace — and who also made some healthy lifestyle changes — were significantly likely to live longer than their peers.

A study in the September 2022 Journal of the American Heart Association revealed that people who engaged in more religious activities or had spiritual perspectives were more likely to have better measures of overall heart health. Those who frequently practiced private prayer were 12 percent more likely to have ideal or intermediate diet scores and were 24 percent less likely to smoke.

It’s worth noting here that though research has linked prayer to these health benefits, the reason for the connection is still not clear.

Stress

Spending quiet time communicating with the divine may lower stress by inducing the relaxation response. “That peace, that sense of meaning and connection that happens with prayer, is what is positive," Park says. "Those kinds of things have physiological effects on the body, such as calming your cardiovascular system and reducing your stress."

This nervous system “reboot” can have cascading benefits, both mental and physical. Prayer’s induction of the relaxation response has been linked to lower heart rates, blood pressure, and oxygen consumption, as well as reduced symptoms of arthritis, insomnia, depression, infertility, cancer, anxiety, and aging, according to the American Psychological Association.

According to Levin, the act of voicing the desires of our hearts to God (whether silently or out loud) is also therapeutic. “[Many] religions encourage vernacular prayer, or the kind of prayer where an individual pours his or her heart out to God. In my opinion, this is very healing all by itself,” he says. A personal connection with the divine can mimic the comforting experience of talking to a friend or loved one, he explains."

https://www.everydayhealth.com/emotional-health/power-of-prayer.aspx

Mediation

Mental Health

"Research into the benefits of meditation, often as part of mindfulness-based interventions (at home and instructor led), has shown positive psychological and physiological effects, many of which are self-reported. Such benefits are found in various groups, from trauma survivors to school children to those seeking help in therapy (Lee et al., 2017; Matiz et al., 2020; Shapiro, 2020).

The effects of meditation are far reaching, positively impacting our physical health and our mental wellness, including cognitive functioning and emotional control.

Studies show reductions in (Matiz et al., 2020; Galante et al., 2021):

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Stress levels
• Job burnout"

Connectedness

"We also see psychological benefits, such as (Matiz et al., 2020; Campanella et al., 2014; Shapiro, 2020; Galante et al., 2021):

• Heightened empathy
• Improved interoceptive awareness (stimuli and sensations within the body)
• Better psychological wellbeing
• Increased self-directedness (awareness that our actions and behaviors reflect our choices)
• Improved cooperativeness (degree of agreeableness in relationships with others)
• More self-transcendence (rising above the self and relating to something bigger)"

Increased Brain Function

"Benefits of meditation includes physical changes to the brain and improved cognitive functioning, such as (Shapiro, 2020):

• Slowing of brain aging (particularly thinning of the prefrontal cortex)
• Improved attention
• Increased innovation
• Better problem-solving
• Mental health conditions following trauma"

Improved Physical and Mental Health

"Other physical benefits offered by meditative and mindfulness practices — also backed up by research — include (Shapiro, 2020; Levine et al., 2017; Galante et al., 2021):

• Strengthened immune function
• Reduced stress
• Improved sleep
• Reduced panic attacks
• Increased work satisfaction
• Reduction in chronic pain
• Reduced hypertension
• Lowered risk of cardiovascular disease

And the list goes on. As Shapiro (2020, p. 42) says, “thousands of studies have shown significant benefits of mindfulness practices across an array of domains in psychological, cognitive, and physical health.” The benefits of meditation vary between individuals and contexts (Tang, 2018)."

https://positivepsychology.com/benefits-of-meditation/

Spirituality

Harvard University has research the affect of spirituality on health outcomes and found a positive correlation.

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2022/07/spirituality-linked-with-better-health-outcomes-patient-care/

And so the more we pray, meditate, and/or engage in spiritual activities (for example a walk in the forest or on a beach, while marveling at and connecting with the same), the happier and healthier we are.

The Mental, Physical, and Spiritual Benefits of Drug Use 

In a similar manner, there are a large number of mental and physical health benefits to drug use that also can't be denied, and where there is in fact an overlap between drug use and spirituality in many communities of drug users.

Marijuana

"New research supports a number of potential health benefits of cannabis containing THC (as opposed to containing CBD exclusively).

Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved several prescription drugs featuring synthetic substances similar to THC to help people navigate the uncomfortable side effects often experienced with cancer chemotherapy. Marinol and Syndros both contain dronabinol (synthetic THC), which is used to treat nausea and vomiting. Meanwhile, Cesamet contains nabilone, another synthetic substance similar to THC, and is also used to address nausea and vomiting, as well as loss of appetite and weight in patients with HIV/AIDS.

Managing Multiple Sclerosis Spasticity

Sativex, an oral spray medication available by prescription, contains both THC and CBD and is used in 25 countries to help treat muscle stiffness and spasms caused by multiple sclerosis. In Canada specifically, Sativex is used as an adjunctive treatment (alongside a primary treatment) in adult patients who haven’t responded well enough to other therapies and show meaningful improvement during an initial trial with the drug. In the U.S., Sativex is still being tested as a treatment for adults with multiple sclerosis spasticity.

Addressing Chronic Pain

Evidence suggests medications that combine THC and CBD can be effective treatments for chronic pain, particularly neuropathic pain (pain caused by nerve damage), nociceptive pain (pain caused by ongoing inflammation and related damage) and nociplastic pain (pain arising from the altered function of pain-related sensory pathways), according to a 2022 review of clinical research in Inflammopharmacology. The researchers add that this combination of cannabinoids tends to be more easily tolerated, safer and less addictive than opioid-based analgesics^[1].

Improving Sleep Quality

A 2018 study in Sleep found participants with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who took dronabinol (synthetic THC) before bed experienced a reduction in the number of times their breathing was interrupted during sleep. The 10-milligram dose performed better than the 2.5-milligram dose and placebo. Participants also experienced stronger sensations of sleepiness^[2].

Another 2014 study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine also observed an association between dronabinol use and improved sleep metrics in patients with OSA^[3].

More Potential Health Benefits of Cannabis

Krissy Bernazani, registered pharmacist and clinical director at medical cannabis dispensary Zen Leaf Maryland, says the most common health and wellness needs she and her team address with cannabis include:

• Migraine
• Neuropathy
• Nausea and vomiting
• Appetite loss
• Inflammation
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Rheumatoid arthritis

Bernazani adds that many medical cannabis patients turn to cannabis after failing to find relief with other more traditional pharmaceuticals."

https://www.forbes.com/health/cbd/health-benefits-of-cannabis/

Psychedelics and Hallucinogens

"“Psychedelics induce the brain to change transiently in ways that appear to allow a reset to take place and permit alterations in previously 'stuck' ways of feeling and thinking about things," Dr. Jerrold Rosenbaum, director of the Center for the Neuroscience of Psychedelics at Massachusetts General Hospital, in Boston, said in an Harvard Health Publishing article. "It's like rebooting your computer."

NIDA says people report using hallucinogens to reduce pain and stress levels, improve feelings of well-being, and to enjoy emotional and spiritual experiences.

Because of hallucinogens' work in changing brain processes, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released a statement on clinical trial guidelines for them. It says they show promise for treating:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Mood disorders
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Substance abuse disorders

The American Psychological Association (APA) notes psychedelics have shown healing potential for these conditions in several clinical studies.

“Combined with psychotherapy, some psychedelic drugs like MDMA, psilocybin and ayahuasca may improve symptoms of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder,” psychologist Cristina Magalhães of Alliant International University in Los Angeles told the APA.

Although study of hallucinogens' effectiveness is ongoing, in 2019 the FDA did approve a psychedelic nasal spray called esketamine for use in treatment-resistant depression therapy.

In addition, the FDA has approved Breakthrough Therapy status for two psychedelics: psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder and MDMA for PTSD."

https://www.forbes.com/health/cbd/health-benefits-of-cannabis/

When the Pursuit of Happiness Becomes an Addiction

Again, addiction is largely defined by a type of compulsive behavior that results in the dysfunction of the life of an individual.

Addiction is defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary as, 

2: a strong inclination to do, use, or indulge in something repeatedly"

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/addiction

Accordingly, addictions cause a perceived "need" for a substance (which creates (a) happy molecule(s)) or behavior/activity (which creates (a) happy molecule(s)).

And so compulsive behaviors like gambling, sex, exercising, eating, drinking, and praying, but not at all limited to the same, create happy molecules to meet a perceived "need", and if the habitual pursuit of the fulfillment of that need through consumption and/or behavior/activities has a harmful physical, psychological, or social effect, and/or results in anxiety, irritability, or other physical symptoms, then the same may be an addiction. 

Here we must ask ourselves if faith or spirituality have ever had a harmful physical, psychological, or social effect, and the answer is an inescapable yes, and as far back as Egyptian imperial cults, Greek imperial cults, Roman imperial cults, Abrahamic cults and/or religions, their "Holy Crusades", holy wars, through to modern times, and where wars based on religion have killed millions of people, and where different religious groups have committed mass suicide, and/or have been used to rape women and children, and/or have been used to exploit others seeking community in other ways, including financial.  

And so the compulsive behavioral "needs" of the faithful have indeed caused harmful physical, psychological, or social effects, despite also being great for mental and physical health, and so just like drugs use, there is a threshold of faith or drug use that is healthy, above which threshold the same becomes unhealthy.

Does prayer fall within the definition of addiction, "a strong inclination to do, use, or indulge in something repeatedly"? It most certainly does.

Unfortunately, groups whose cult leaders or cult of personality leaders -- for example Jeffrey Epstein's/NXIVM's and Russia's Donald Trump, but not limited to the same -- have weaponized the faith of others to scare them into believing that some vague and ambiguous nebulous group of people are out to get them, want to take their religion/country away from them, want to destroy their way of life, and/or other similar cult leader propaganda, used to convince those they terrify into financing and supporting them, and where the same simply isn't true.

Case in point, there is no organized democratic group of people conspiring to take religion away from Republicans -- but as long as Trump can scare and deceive Republicans into believing the same -- he engineers the threat of a future loss of source of happiness for those he can deceive, much like a drug dealer threatens to stop providing a junkie drugs because of some nebulous threat the source of the drugs.

Accepting that faith and spirituality can have personal and societal benefits, to better understand when faith and spirituality become toxic as a misunderstood addiction, we turn to the design of the brain's hypothalamus.

The following is a map of the hypothalamus.