Oxytocin Hormone involved in feelings of spirituality read more at here www.spinonews.com/index.php/item/945-oxytocin-hormone-involved-in-feelings-of-spirituality

The hormone Oxytocin is best known for its role in feelings of love and social bonding. However, a new study suggests it's involved in feelings of spirituality as well.

The study involved 83 men’s age 35 to 64 who received either a dose of oxytocin or a placebo, both of which were administered through a nasal spray. Afterward, they answered questions about their feelings of spirituality, in this case refers to a sense of connection to a higher power or the world that gives meaning to people's lives.

Men who received oxytocin were more likely to say that spirituality was important in their lives at the time of the study, compared with those who received the placebo.

Study co-author Patty Van Cappellen, a social psychologist at Duke University, said that, the findings shed light on the biological factors involved in feelings of spirituality. Oxytocin appears to be part of the way our bodies support spiritual beliefs.

Oxytocin is sometimes called the "love hormone" because it's released when people cuddle, and is thought to be involved in mother-child bonding.

However, the researchers say they don't want oxytocin to be dubbed the spiritual hormone as a result of the findings. That's because spiritual beliefs are complex, and may involve many biological processes. Spirituality is complex and affected by many factors.

The study also found that, compared to those who received the placebo, participants who received oxytocin reported more positive emotions during a guided meditation session that occurred shortly after they received the nasal spray.

The researchers also analyzed participant’s DNA for the CD38 gene, which regulates the release of oxytocin from brain cells. They found that oxytocin more strongly increased feelings of spirituality in people with a certain variant of this gene.

Researchers said, the study involved only male participants, the findings apply only to men. Oxytocin appears to have different effects in men and woman, and so the effects of the hormone on spirituality in women still need to be studied.