Oxytocin also called as love hormone, which plays a vital role in social bonding, sexual reproduction also enhance spirituality in men, according to a new study.
The researchers at the Duke University, US found that the participants who took oxytocin for a week experienced a greater sense of spirituality. They also experienced more positive emotions during meditation, said lead author Patty Van Cappellen, a social psychologist at Duke.
“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,” said Van Cappellen.
“Spirituality is complex and affected by many factors. However, Oxytocin does seem to affect how we perceive the world and what we believe,” she added.
Oxytocin is normally produced by the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. It is released into the bloodstream as a response during sex, childbirth and breastfeeding.
Researchers believe the hormone effect male and females differently and since the study was only conducted on male participants, the findings would not apply to the latter. They believe that a separate research needs to be carried out to determine whether it increases spirituality in women.
After receiving Oxytocin shots for a week, the participants believed that spirituality was important in their lives and that life has a meaning and a purpose. It was also found that they gave a higher rating towards statement such as All life is interconnected” and “There is a higher plane of consciousness or spirituality that binds all people.”
The subjects who also participated in guided meditation experienced more positive emotions during meditation.
However, it was found that Oxytocin did not affect all participants equally. It’s effect on spirituality was higher among people with a particular variant of the CD38 gene, a gene that regulates the release of oxytocin.
