Having More Sex Makes Men More Spiritual, Closer To God

An interesting research has revealed that having more sex increases men's spirituality and belief in God. Apparently, the release of the "love hormone", oxytocin not only promotes social closeness and helps in childbirth, but also triggers increased feelings of religiousness.

Reports say that according to the new study by researchers at Duke University, sex can truly be a religious experience, which draws men much closer to God, all thanks to the infamous "love hormone", oxytocin which is usually released during sexual intercourse, childbirth, breastfeeding and increases love and affection.

However, the new study revealed that boosted levels of oxytocin in middle-aged men increased self-reported spirituality and also that this significant effect lasted about a week. For the study, a control group, who received a placebo, did not report an increase in their levels of spirituality. But, those who received the hormone reported more positive emotions during meditation, reported Independent.co.uk.

Patty Van Cappallen, a social psychologist and the lead author of the study said: "Spirituality and meditation have each been linked to health and well-being in previous research. "We were interested in understanding biological factors that may enhance those spiritual experiences," she told the university's newspaper Duke Today. "Oxytocin appears to be part of the way our bodies support spiritual beliefs."

Researchers also said that not all of them had previously reported that faith was a part of their lives. They also said that they expressed a feeling of oneness with other people and living things. Daily Mail reported that oxytocin apparently starts positive emotions like as awe, gratitude, hope, inspiration, love, and serenity. However, it was also found that not everyone was affected equally. Researchers said that those with a certain gene called CD38 which regulated its released in the brain had a much more heightened response.

Meanwhile, Dr. Van Cappellen also said that an additional study needs to be done with women as the chemical operates differently according to different genders. She added saying: "Spirituality is complex and affected by many factors. However, oxytocin does seem to affect how we perceive the world and what we believe. "Oxytocin's effects on women's spirituality still need to be investigated."