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How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality
PRX
91 episodes
1 week ago
While religion and science often seem at odds, there’s one thing they can agree on: people who take part in spiritual practices tend to live longer, healthier, and happier lives. The big question is: Why? In How God Works, professor Dave DeSteno takes us on a journey to find out how spirituality impacts our minds and bodies, as well as the world in which we live. He speaks to leading scientists and philosophers, religious thinkers, and thought leaders to explore what we can learn from the world’s faith traditions to help us meet some of life’s biggest challenges. Along the way, he’ll look at how we can adapt and use spiritual practices in our own lives, whatever our beliefs, including none at all. It’s by working across the boundaries that usually divide us – science versus religion, one faith versus another – that we’ll find new ways to make life better for everyone.
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Philosophy
Society & Culture
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While religion and science often seem at odds, there’s one thing they can agree on: people who take part in spiritual practices tend to live longer, healthier, and happier lives. The big question is: Why? In How God Works, professor Dave DeSteno takes us on a journey to find out how spirituality impacts our minds and bodies, as well as the world in which we live. He speaks to leading scientists and philosophers, religious thinkers, and thought leaders to explore what we can learn from the world’s faith traditions to help us meet some of life’s biggest challenges. Along the way, he’ll look at how we can adapt and use spiritual practices in our own lives, whatever our beliefs, including none at all. It’s by working across the boundaries that usually divide us – science versus religion, one faith versus another – that we’ll find new ways to make life better for everyone.
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Philosophy
Society & Culture
Episodes (20/91)
How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality
HGW Presents: Kelly Corrigan Wonders (with Rainn Wilson)
How God Works will be back with all new episodes this fall. In the meantime, we're taking the opportunity to share episodes from some of our favorite shows with you, our listeners. Today, we're excited to feature a conversation from the podcast Kelly Corrigan Wonders, featuring Rainn Wilson, creator of the book and podcast Soul Boom.  "Going Deep with Rainn Wilson on Spirituality" Rainn Wilson (who you might know as Dwight Schrute) is making a serious call for a spiritual revolution based on joy, acts of service and being honest about our mixed natures. This is a conversation to share with anyone who is thinking seriously about how to elevate matters of the soul over the clang and bang of the modern world. Or maybe just someone who needs a laugh. (Previously aired)   Special thanks to the Aspen Ideas Festival where this podcast was recorded.
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20 hours ago
49 minutes 25 seconds

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality
Bonus: Losing Our Religion or Finding What Matters?
As more Americans move away from organized religion, the moral and emotional needs once met by faith communities remain. What can secular society borrow from spiritual traditions — ritual, meaning, belonging and moral imagination — to nourish the human spirit and strengthen our shared civic life? In this conversation, recorded live at the 2025 Aspen Ideas Festival, Dave explores how sacred wisdom can still guide character, compassion, and community in a post-religious age with Krista Tippett, Father Greg Boyle, and Rabbi Shira Stutman. Krista Tippet is the creator and host of the award winning podcast On Being and an awardee of the National Humanities medal.  Father Greg Boyle is the founder of Homeboy Industries, a gang intervention, rehabilitation, and re-entry program in Los Angeles and author of the New York Times bestseller, Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion.  Rabbi Shira Stutman is the founder of Mixed Multitudes, an organization that exposes diverse groups of Jews and fellow travelers to Jewish life, tradition, and conversation, and author of the acclaimed book The Jewish Way to a Good Life.
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2 weeks ago
45 minutes 11 seconds

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality
Speaking in Tongues
The spiritual practice of speaking in tongues –a form of communication with the divine through speaking words in an unknown or unrecognizable language– has invited a lot of speculation and skepticism over the years. To many, it seems like the stuff of horror movies, or old-timey religious revivals. But charismatic Christianity, for which speaking in tongues is a central practice, is one of the fastest growing Christian movements in modern history.  So why has it not only persisted, but recently gained momentum?  What exactly is happening to the mind and body when people engage in this practice?  We’ll talk to Josh Brahinsky, anthropologist and author of a forthcoming book on speaking in tongues, about his years researching people taking part in this practice, and why it’s far less rare and extreme than many people think. And how neuroscience is showing real changes in the brain that point to tongues as an effective method of prayer and even mindfulness. We’ll also talk to Shavon Gartrell, youth pastor at Glad Tidings Church in San Francisco, about what it feels like to let go, drop in and give her tongue to God.
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1 month ago
34 minutes 16 seconds

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality
The Soul and Science of Prayer
What is prayer? And why do it? People pray for all kinds of reasons, and in all kinds of ways: alone, together, aloud, in silence, from memory, or from instinct. But whatever form it takes, there’s a reason prayer has been part of just about every spiritual tradition out there: its effects run deep.  On this episode, we’re digging into the science and spirit of prayer. We’ll talk to neuroscientist Andrew Newberg about what prayer does to our minds and bodies, and how it helps shape us as people. And friend of the show Rabbi Shira Stutman will return to explore how people can find meaning, connection and growth through intentional practice, whatever their beliefs may be. Andrew Newberg is the director of research at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health and a physician at Jefferson University Hospital. He is the author of several books on the neuroscience of spirituality, including How God Changes Your Brain and The Rabbi’s Brain. Find out more about his work on his website. Shira Stutman is a nationally known faith-based leader and changemaker, currently serving as Senior Rabbi at Aspen Jewish Congregation. She is also co-host of the podcast Chutzpod and author of the book The Jewish Way to a Good Life: Find Happiness, Build Community, and Embrace Lovingkindness.
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1 month ago
41 minutes 3 seconds

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality
Of God and Men
There's a lot of talk these days about a crisis of masculinity. But is it a genuine problem or just another culture war talking point?  In this special episode, we’ll talk to writer and researcher Richard Reeves about the real and worrying data around the male struggle for meaning and purpose, and what role community and ritual can play in helping men find answers. We’ll also hear from Dr. Russell Moore and Pastor Rasool Berry about how and why religion can help support men, but also the dangers it can pose if they follow it down the wrong path. And we’ll hear directly from some young men about the challenges they’re facing around identity and the comfort they’re finding in Christian community and scripture. Richard Reeves is the president of the American Institute for Boys and Men and the author of the book Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It. Learn more about his work on his website.  Dr. Russell Moore is a Christian theologian, pastor and the Editor in Chief of Christianity Today. Learn more about his work on his website.  Rasool Berry is Teaching and Family Pastor at The Bridge Church and a leader of The Whole Man Project. Learn more about his work on his website.   Special thanks to Bennett Bullard, Clint Brown, Ben Chao, Mason Diab, Sean Enniss, Alex Leach, Baines Pierre, Ernst Lozin, and Dejan Zivkovic for sharing their stories of what it's like to be a man today with us.
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2 months ago
51 minutes 23 seconds

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality
Adolescence: How to Build an Adult (From the Archive)
 Hey listeners, we'll be back in two weeks with a special episode looking at the multiple challenges facing men in America today. But while you wait, we wanted to share an episode from Season 2 of our show that feels especially relevant to that conversation. Think of it as a prequel or primer, because part of the problem, and possibly part of the solution, may have to do with how boys become men in the first place. We hope you enjoy! When you’re a teenager, you’re kind of between two worlds. You’re leaving the comforts and carefree days of childhood behind and stepping into the challenges and responsibilities adulthood brings. But when exactly should you make that change? And, more importantly, how can rites of passage help?  Join Dave as he talks with psychologist Leah Somerville and religion scholar Connor Wood to explore the adolescent mind and how rituals can help it learn to “adult.”  For more on Leah Somerville’s work, click here.  To read some of Connor Wood’s writing, visit Science on Religion.
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2 months ago
34 minutes 59 seconds

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality
The Conscious Cosmos
For centuries, Western science and philosophy have struggled to explain what consciousness is and where it comes from. What if the answer to both those questions is: everything? On this episode, we dive into panpsychism: the idea that consciousness may not be limited to humans, or even living beings, but could be a basic property of reality itself. We’ll talk to philosopher Philip Goff about why this idea is gaining attention in academic circles, and to theologian Joanna Leidenhag about how panpsychism aligns with spiritual traditions from across cultures and throughout history. We’ll also ask: could this strange-sounding idea reshape how we understand ourselves and our place in the world? Philip Goff is a professor of Philosophy and the author of Why?: The Purpose of the Universe, Galileo’s Error: Foundations for a New Science of Consciousness and many other publications about panpsychism. Find out more about his work on his website. Joanna Leidenhag is a professor of Theology and Philosophy and the author of the book Minding Creation: Theological Panpsychism and the Doctrine of Creation. Find out more about her work here.
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3 months ago
40 minutes 25 seconds

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality
Found By Faith
People find faith or change faiths for many reasons: marriage, raising a family, dealing with  grief or crisis. But sometimes it happens the other way around… faith finds you. A believing takes hold, a sense that something divine is there. And maybe not in the way or role that you might have expected.  It’s not uncommon. Data show that these types of experiences happen to about 30% of people. On this episode we’ll talk to one of these people –New York Times columnist and best selling author David Brooks– about his unexpected encounter with faith and what came after. Find out more about Weave: The Social Fabric Project, the non-profit David founded at the Aspen Institute.
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3 months ago
35 minutes 12 seconds

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality
Fasting for the Soul
Many would agree there are few things better than sharing a delicious meal with the people you love, which is one reason why breaking bread together is a cornerstone of religions the world over. But so too is the opposite - going without food.  From Ramadan to Yom Kippur to Lent, fasting is an important ritual in many faiths. But why do so many religions periodically take away the very thing that nourishes our bodies and souls?   On this episode we'll talk with Khalil-Abdur Rashid about the role fasting plays in Islam, and why not eating and drinking is actually the easy part.  And we'll talk to Adam Cohen about some new research that suggests even one day of fasting could help deepen religious commitment and overall well being. Imam Dr. Khalil Abdur-Rashid is the first full-time University Muslim Chaplain at Harvard University, Instructor of Muslim Studies at Harvard Divinity School, and Public Policy Lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Adam Cohen is a Professor of Psychology at Arizona State University. Learn more about his research here. 
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3 months ago
31 minutes 5 seconds

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality
Origins of Belief
We often think of belief as a religious or cultural idea that is a hallmark of modern humans. But what if the early sparks of belief burned in our ancestors’ minds long before modern humans walked the earth? What if beliefs about some of the biggest questions out there, like what happens after death, weren’t just pondered by Homo sapiens? On this episode, evolutionary anthropologist Agustín Fuentes takes us on a journey spanning millions of years, from our primate relatives in the deep past to the complex spiritual and cultural traditions we know today. Along the way, we’ll learn how the capacity for belief has helped shape our species and why it remains a powerful force in our lives today. Agustín Fuentes is a Professor of Anthropology at Princeton University and the author of the books Why We Believe: Evolution and the Human Way of Being and The Creative Spark: How Imagination Made Humans Exceptional. Learn more about his work on his website, and be sure to check out his forthcoming book Sex is a Spectrum: The Biological Limits of the Binary, due out in May 2025. 
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4 months ago
35 minutes 22 seconds

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality
Marriage, Monogamy and the Modern Mind
When it comes to finding happiness, many religions see marriage as the gold standard: a path to love, stability, and fulfillment. But is that really true? And if so, why are marriage rates plummeting in so many parts of the world? In this episode, we’ll talk to anthropologist Joseph Henrich about the surprising history of marriage and monogamy, including how these institutions helped lay the groundwork for much of our modern way of life. We’ll also speak with psychologist Geoff MacDonald about what it means to live a happy, single life in a world that often prioritizes partnership, and why marriage might not offer the best road to fulfillment for everyone.  Joseph Henrich is the Ruth Moore Professor of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University, and the author of The WEIRDest People in the World: How the West Became Psychologically Peculiar and Particularly Prosperous.  Geoff MacDonald is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto, where he leads the MacDonald Social Psychology Research Laboratory, which aims to study well-being in singlehood. 
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4 months ago
36 minutes 7 seconds

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality
Season 8 Trailer
Join us for Season 8 of How God Works, starting next week!
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5 months ago
1 minute 49 seconds

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality
Every Breath You Take (From the Archive)
We'll be back with a whole new season of How God Works on March 9th. But in the meantime, we wanted to share shows from our archives that speak to some of the most pressing challenges we're all facing today. It’s only February, and already this has been an intense year. So if you’re feeling stressed today, how about… a breather? It’s no accident that the Hebrew word for breath is the same as the word for spirit (ruach). Breath doesn’t just give us life: it helps regulate everything from vital organ functions to cognition and emotional states. That’s why spiritual traditions the world over incorporate it as a practice to help heal body and mind and walk the path towards peace. Join us as we explore the breath’s connection to our nervous system with psychologist and neuroscientist Stephen Porges, creator of Polyvagal Theory. We’ll also learn about the spiritual roots of breathwork and try out a few techniques with noted yoga, qigong and meditation teacher Amelia Barili. Learn more about Dr. Stephen Porges’s work and Polyvagal Theory on his website, and be sure to check out his new book, co-authored with Seth Porges: Our Polyvagal World: How Safety and Trauma Change Us. Dr. Amelia Barili is faculty at the UCB Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and professor emerita from the University of California at Berkeley. Learn more about her work on her website and check out her YouTube channel the new paradigms. We also highly recommend the book Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, by James Nestor.
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5 months ago
39 minutes 23 seconds

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality
Moving Beyond Us vs Them (From the Archive)
We'll be back with a whole new season of How God Works starting in early March. But in the meantime, we wanted to share a few shows from our archives that speak to some of the most pressing challenges we're all facing today. Hate and prejudice based on ethnicity, religion, gender and sexual orientation are all too common in our world. But are we doomed to be this way? Or is it possible to create a world where cooperation and peace are the norm? Join Dave as he talks to NYU professor Jay van Bavel about the deeper mechanisms at work when it comes to group conflict (and how to avoid it), and with Zen Buddhism teacher Larry Ward about how the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh and the Plum Village Tradition can help all of us to heal and foster a more equitable and caring world. Jay Van Bavel is co-author (with Dominic Packer) of The Power of Us: Harnessing Our Shared Identities to Improve Performance, Increase Cooperation, and Promote Social Harmony. Find out more about Jay’s work on his website. Larry Ward is a co-founder of The Lotus Institute and host of the podcast Beyond the News, which explores current events through the lens of Buddhism and neuroscience. He is also the author of America’s Racial Karma: An Invitation to Heal. The gathas heard in this episode are taken from Thich Nhat Hanh’s book Peace Is Every Breath: A Practice for Our Busy Lives. Dave also makes reference to the 14 mindfulness trainings, which can be found in the book Interbeing, 4th Edition: The 14 Mindfulness Trainings of Engaged Buddhism.
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5 months ago
38 minutes 37 seconds

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality
Religion and Robots and AI … Oh My! (From the Archive)
Artificial Intelligence, and its possible applications to religion, have been in the news a lot lately, so while we're busy working on Season 8, we thought we'd share this episode from 2022 with you. Can you pray with a robot? Will people worship AI like a god? It’s not science fiction. It’s starting to happen now. But what does it mean if robots become priests, or AIs start offering ethical advice? And how do we know when to trust them? We’ll talk to MIT social roboticist Cynthia Breazeal about how technology can manipulate our minds and emotions for good or ill, and with religion professor Robert Geraci about how technology is being used in religion, and why AI may need some spiritual training itself. Watch Cynthia Breazeal’s TED talk here, and find out about her work on the MIT Media Lab website.  Find out more about Robert Geraci’s work on his website. Meet the robots: Nexi, Mindar, and SanTO.
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6 months ago
36 minutes 8 seconds

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality
Why Spirituality is Important in our Increasingly Secular World (Dave on the How to Be a Better Human Podcast)
Faith has always been a strong force in human history – but in modern times, it may feel antiquated to have it. This is an episode of the How to Be a Better Human podcast in which Dave talks about his research exploring questions of faith, his findings, and why we shouldn’t leave spiritual wisdom behind, even in the age of science.  Hosted by comedian Chris Duffy, How to Be a Better Human features conversations that uncover sharp insights and give clear takeaways on how you can improve your life.  From your work to your home and your head to your heart, How to Be a Better Human looks in unexpected places for new ways to improve and show up for one another. If you liked this episode, you can find How to Be a Better Human wherever you get your podcasts
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6 months ago
39 minutes 46 seconds

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality
Finding Holiday Happiness
The holidays are supposed to be a time of joy. But all too often, the darker, colder days of winter, and even the stress of preparing for the holidays themselves, can lead people to feel something else: rushed, stressed, lonely, or even hopeless. How can you make sure this year is bright? Science shows that there's a wisdom to parts of traditional winter celebrations – a wisdom that's been honed over centuries to help us all find light, joy, and connection during the darkest and coldest time of the year.  Join Dave as he chats with Laurie Santos about how to unpack the psychological secrets of celebrations from Christmas, to Hanukkah, to Yule, and more. They’ll also discuss how we can put that wisdom into practice, whatever our beliefs, to make this season a happier and healthier one for all. Laurie Santos hosts the podcast The Happiness Lab and is a Professor of Psychology at Yale, where she teaches the most popular class in the university’s history. Learn more about her work at her website. 
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7 months ago
36 minutes 53 seconds

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality
Finding Hope in Dark Times (From the Archive)
This episode from 2023 is one of our all-time listener favorites. We're sharing it again for anyone who may have missed it, or could do with a refresher, especially at the holiday season!  Surveys show feelings of sadness and despair peaked in 2023. So as we look to the new year, it’s understandable why any of us might be feeling pessimistic, even hopeless. But these feelings aren’t written in stone. We always have a choice. It’s in these darkest of times, when all feels lost, that hope helps us find our way … not just to heal ourselves, but also the world around us. On this episode, we’ll talk with the Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, about how he remains motivated and hopeful, even while covering some of the most tragic events in recent history. And he’ll offer a little advice for ways we can all rise above despair. And we’ll talk with Roshi Joan Halifax — ecologist, civil rights activist, hospice caregiver, and founder of the Upaya Zen Center — about the Buddhist-informed notion of wise hope, the equanimity it can bring, and the fierce compassion it can unleash. Nicholas Kristof is the author of the  book Chasing Hope: A Reporter's Life. Read his NYT columns here, and find out more about the cider he makes here. Roshi Joan Halifax leads the Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Learn more about her work on her website.
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7 months ago
35 minutes 49 seconds

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality
The Bad Place
Lots of religions embrace the idea of hell – a place of eternal punishment for wrong doers. But where did that idea come from? How has it changed through time? And how does a belief in it (or not) affect us while we’re alive?  We’ll talk with Bart Ehrman about the history of beliefs in hell from ancient Mesopotamia through modern Christianity. And with Shadi Hamid about why he thinks it can be a good thing for people to believe in hell, and how that belief shapes our political and social lives.   Bart Ehrman is the James A. Gray Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the author of Heaven and Hell: A History of the Afterlife and Journeys to Heaven and Hell: Tours of the Afterlife in the Early Christian Tradition. Find out more about Bart’s work, including his many other writings about the New Testament and early Christianity, at his website. Shadi Hamid is a columnist at The Washington Post, a research professor of Islamic studies at Fuller Seminary, and the author, most recently, of The Problem of Democracy: America, the Middle East, and the Rise and Fall of an Idea.
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8 months ago
38 minutes 54 seconds

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality
Near Death Experiences
People have been having Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) all over the world for as long as we can look back into history. And the strange thing is… these experiences seem to have a lot in common. Why? Is it a look into the afterlife? Is it just our neurons firing in weird ways as the brain dies?  We’ll talk to psychiatrist Bruce Greyson, one of the world’s leading experts on Near-Death Experiences, about the research that led him to rethink his understanding of the nature of life, death, and the continuity of consciousness. We’ll explore the science behind how these experiences can provide comfort, heal past trauma, and even create transcendent experiences that help us make as much sense of our lives as of impending death. And we’ll also consider the bigger question of what NDEs suggest, if anything, about our understanding of reality.  Bruce Greyson, M.D. is the author of “After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal About Life and Beyond.” Find out more about his book, and his over 45 years of experience researching NDEs, on his website.  Here are links to the recordings of people you heard talking about their NDEs throughout the episode: Sharon Stone, Dr. Mary Neal, Renee Pasarow, Cherie Aimee, Jayne Smith. Here’s a video of Dr. Gregory Shushan talking about his research on NDEs in ancient religions. 
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8 months ago
35 minutes 30 seconds

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality
While religion and science often seem at odds, there’s one thing they can agree on: people who take part in spiritual practices tend to live longer, healthier, and happier lives. The big question is: Why? In How God Works, professor Dave DeSteno takes us on a journey to find out how spirituality impacts our minds and bodies, as well as the world in which we live. He speaks to leading scientists and philosophers, religious thinkers, and thought leaders to explore what we can learn from the world’s faith traditions to help us meet some of life’s biggest challenges. Along the way, he’ll look at how we can adapt and use spiritual practices in our own lives, whatever our beliefs, including none at all. It’s by working across the boundaries that usually divide us – science versus religion, one faith versus another – that we’ll find new ways to make life better for everyone.