«Breaking News» Brexit stress cannot be alleviated by a belief in religion or science

Belief in religion or science does not decrease stress levels while discussing divisive topics, psychologists say.

Contrary to popular belief that calling on a higher power can help us deal with difficulties, a new study finds that stress increases regardless. 

Experts compared people with strong beliefs in either God or science and found that stress levels increased significantly when they talked about difficult issues.

Participants from both groups were challenged to reflect on their beliefs, whether sacred or secular, before discussing Brexit – Britain's impending exit from the European Union.

Researchers found that aggravation levels increased for both groups after talking about the situation.

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Belief in a faith system or science will not decrease stress levels while discussing divisive topics like Brexit. Contrary to popular perceptions that a higher power can help us deal with difficulties, research shows that this it is this does not help with acute stress (stock image)

The study, the first of its kind, explored whether faith in a higher power or a rational universe can help alleviate acute stress. 

Experts from Coventry University and the University at Albany, New York, worked with 100 university students, all either scientific or religious believers.

Half were asked to write about an important event in their lives where a god or science were particularly helpful, prompting them to reflect on their beliefs. 

The other half – the control group – wrote instead about their favourite season.

Stress levels were then increased as participants were asked to argue their case for or against Britain leaving the EU in front of a panel, who would judge the credibility of their arguments. 

They also measured heart rate, blood pressure, and levels of cortisol (a hormone that regulates stress responses) throughout.

Each participant was monitored for subjective measures of stress alongside their strength of ideology to see the impact of reflecting on belief.

Both groups perceived stress and anxiety after the task, there were no differences between strong believers who had been prompted to reflect on those beliefs, and those who had simply written about the seasons.

WHY DO PEOPLE BELIEVE IN GOD? 

Thinkers have been pondering why people believe in god for centuries. 

One popular theory cites 'cognitive and social adaptations' as the reasoning behind belief in god.

For example, 'cognitive decoupling,' or the common phenomenon of attaching behaviors or actions to someone who isn't in front of us could explain why people are religious. 

It is a small leap from being able to imagine the mind of someone we know to imagining an omnipotent, omniscient, human-like mind - especially if we have religious texts which tell of their past actions. 

Religious activities make our brains feel good, encouraging us to repeat them. 

In addition, household norms tend to encourage people to be religious.  

The findings suggest that when people are not able to anticipate an upcoming acute stressor, their ability to cope is not improved by having recently reflected on beliefs. 

The authors noted that perhaps it is 'not belief itself, but the complex of practices and associated social support which helps believers cope with stress'.

'It's widely thought that belief in a god allows people to cope better, and this extends to other beliefs, Doctor Miguel Farias, from Coventry University said.

'There's no evidence that belief in a god or in science allows for de-stressing in the moment, do the faithful have any advantage over those without a system of faith, or does it provide merely a semblance of meaning and control?'

'When facing difficulty, non-religious people cling to another belief, for example in science.'  

Co-author Anna Newheiser, assistant professor of psychology at University at Albany said: 'It's possible that had participants had a chance to reflect on their beliefs after rather than before the Brexit stress test, they might have been able to selectively consider aspects of their beliefs that could have more directly helped them cope with what they were experiencing.

'So religion or scientific belief may be of limited use to help people anticipate the specific nature of a stressful situation, though belief may help them cope with longer-term stressors.'

The full findings of the study were published in the journal Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice.

The study compared people with strong beliefs in either God or science, and found that stress levels increased significantly when they talked about Brexit. Participants from both groups were challenged to talk about it and both groups' aggravation increased (stock)

ARE WE HEADING FOR A GODLESS FUTURE?

Graham Lawton, author of the new book 'How to be Human,' suggests that as our lives become more stable, society could become 'godless' as our need for religion fades away.

When children encounter religion, Mr Lawson argues they find the explanations it offers intuitively appealing and believable - making them born believers - but this instinct is drummed out of them by education.

The author claimed the reason people continue to be believe it because 'they haven't thought that hard about it'. 

However, although the future will be increasingly secular, humans will never totally lose the god instinct.

As long as existential uncertainty exists Mr Lawton claims religion will not disappear completely - even though he believes some of the things in the bible are 'just crazy'.

People cling onto moral guidance and existential comfort and they don't let go of them easily, he said. 

His comments are based on the cognitive theory of religion which states that belief is a by-product of our cognitive equipment. 

Our brain is primed to see meaning everywhere, which helps us make sense of random events.

Children like the idea that there is order and design in the world and it is actually useful as it allows them to reason about possible threats that we cannot see, for example a predator lurking in a nearby bush.

According to Mr Lawton, although this is an evolutionary advantage, it also facilitates the build-up of delusional belief and a ‘feeling of rightness’. 

'To be an actual atheist and reject all religious ideas is not humanly possible - we'll still fill that hole with something’, said Mr Lawton.  

As long as existential uncertainty exists, Mr Lawton claims religion will not disappear completely. 

Link hienalouca.com

https://hienalouca.com/2019/03/21/brexit-stress-cannot-be-alleviated-by-a-belief-in-religion-or-science/
Main photo article Belief in religion or science does not decrease stress levels while discussing divisive topics, psychologists say.
Contrary to popular belief that calling on a higher power can help us deal with difficulties, a new study finds that stress increases regardless. 
Experts compared people with s...

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Dianne Reeves Online news HienaLouca





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