Religion through an evolutionary lens: An ascetic practice model in dialogue with adaptation and byproduct theories
Humanities and Social Sciences Communications April 6, 2026 Xinyue Tian, Benqian Sang
Religious practices have long been studied for their psychological effects, yet their relationship to human pleasure systems remains underexplored. This study investigates how practices such as prayer, scripture chanting, asceticism, and meditation interact with neural pleasure circuits. Through neurobiological analysis and psychological evidence, we examine responses documented during various...