So, next time you consider components of religion as separate from major aspects of human nature, think also of the broad picture!

I hope you enjoyed this thread. Follow me for more research updates throughout the year! (she says, New Year's resolution firmly in mind). Thanks!

..And recently for art performances.

Like religious rituals, experiencing art together reduced people's self-boundaries, sometimes to the point of feeling merged with the other. 🤝 This increased self-other overlap was associated w/ increased bonding.🫂

osf.io/6atkp_v2

Rituals -whether religious or secular- are also known to bring us together. We feel more connected to others around us, particularly those who had the same experience as us.

We showed this previously for raves..

doi.org/10.3389/fpsy...

This tells us two main understandings:
(1) Feelings are not always frivolous bodily responses that we need to overcome, but can be guiding principles;
(2) Social constructs through which we structure our worlds can be established & changed through rituals

osf.io/g34m9_v1

Religious rituals actually function much like secular rituals, awe experiences, and even art performances:

They are collective experiences during which feelings are encoded into powerful memories or symbols of meaning, encapsulating complex ideas.

osf.io/7y6w8

Event:
📅 Thursday 26 February
🕔 5.00pm to 7.00pm
📍 Headington Campus, Sinclair Building, Room 4.01

More info on the MSc psych website:
www.brookes.ac.uk/courses/post...

I will share the results again here in a month or so! That way, you may learn more about what your genre may say about you.. Thanks!

I think because people there are really motivated to learn; they don't want to squander their time and money being at Oxford *not* getting educated.

Not in capitalism it isn't (it not being about the outcome but the process). I think that's a major part of the problem.