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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Modulation of the Neurophysiological Response to Fearful and Stressful Stimuli Through Repetitive Religious Chanting

Modulation of the Neurophysiological Response to Fearful and Stressful Stimuli Through Repetitive Religious Chanting

Published on: November 4, 2021

Rewarding prayers.

Uffe Schjødt¹, Hans Stødkilde-Jørgensen, Armin W Geertz

¹Department of the Study of Religion, University of Aarhus, Denmark. uffeschjoedt@gmail.com

Neuroscience Letters

|August 7, 2008

Summary

Silent prayer significantly increases brain activity in the caudate nucleus, suggesting religious practice stimulates the brain's reward system. This finding links prayer to the dopaminergic system, similar to interpersonal trust.

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Science
Religious Studies

Background:

The dopaminergic system is associated with reward and motivation.
Previous research linked interpersonal trust to dopaminergic activity.
The neural basis of religious experiences remains largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the neural correlates of silent religious prayer.
To examine the effect of prayer on the brain's reward system.
To explore the relationship between religious practice and dopaminergic activation.

Main Methods:

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to measure brain activity.
Participants included a group of Danish Christians.
Blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) response was analyzed during silent prayer and control tasks.

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Main Results:

A significant increase in BOLD response was observed in the caudate nucleus during silent prayer.
This activation was evident when comparing structured and unstructured religious recitals to secular recitals and a non-narrative baseline.
The findings suggest prayer engages the dopaminergic reward system.

Conclusions:

Religious prayer, as a recurring behavior, can stimulate the dopaminergic reward system.
This research extends the understanding of the dopaminergic system beyond interpersonal trust to abstract entities.
Brain imaging provides insights into the neural mechanisms underlying religious experiences.