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Religious rituals are universal human practices that play a seminal role in community bonding. In two experiments, we tested the role of mu-opioids as the active factor fostering social bonding. We used a mu-opioid blocker (naltrexone) in two double-blind studies of rituals from different religious traditions. We found the same effect across both studies, with naltrexone leading to significantly lower social bonding compared with placebo. These studies suggest that mu-opioids play a significant role in experiences of social bonding within ritual contexts.

Original publication

DOI

10.1098/rsbl.2020.0485

Type

Journal article

Journal

Biol Lett

Publication Date

10/2020

Volume

16

Keywords

mu-opioids, naltrexone, ritual, ritual bonding, social bonding