The Science Behind Why Religion Actually Works

David DeSteno, a psychology professor at Northeastern and author of 'How God Works,' unpacks the data showing religious engagement significantly improves health and longevity, including a 30% drop in all-cause mortality. The discussion covers the Hindu life-stage vana prastha and why midlife may be the natural moment to shift from accumulation to sharing wisdom, how rituals like death contemplation, gratitude, and synchronous movement measurably change the brain, and the potential backfire of extracting spiritual practices from their communal containers. A rare conversation that takes both science and the sacred seriously — without asking you to choose between them.