Effects of oxytocin administration on spirituality and emotional responses to meditation
Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience June 17, 2016 Patty van Cappellen, Baldwin M. Way, Suzannah F. Isgett et al. 138 citations
Intranasal oxytocin increased self-reported spirituality in midlife men, an effect that persisted for at least a week. The hormone also boosted positive emotions during meditation, both explicitly and implicitly. The effect was moderated by genetic variations in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR rs53576) and CD38 (rs6449182 and rs3796863). These findings provide experimental evidence that the oxytocin system, known for social bonding, may also support spirituality.