Current Theories and Applications of the Cognitive Science of Religion

Social scientists have long proposed that funerary rituals foster group cohesion. Our research rigorously tests and refines these long-standing qualitative claims by uncovering the causal mechanisms and quantifiable effects of this universal human behavior. We conducted two preregistered sequential studies following the national funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, exploring the psycho-social pathways to identity fusion and their impact on pro-group commitment among 1,869 British spectators. The initial study, involving 1,632 participants surveyed within two weeks of the funeral, validated predictions that intense sadness during the event correlated with heightened identity fusion and pro-group commitment. The subsequent longitudinal examination, involving 237 participants over 12 months, delved into the causal psycho-social pathways to identity fusion. As expected, the visceral quality of memories exerted a transformative effect on personal identity through processes of personal reflection, ultimately leading to identity fusion via perceived sharedness within the group.This research contributes to accumulating evidence that sharing emotionally intense dysphoric experiences with others, including viewing sacred rituals, leads to incredibly potent social bonding. 

Collective rituals involve coordinating intentions and synchronizing actions to align emotional states and social identities. However, the mechanics of achieving group-level synchrony is yet unclear. We report the results of a naturalistic study in the context of an Islamic congregational prayer that involves synchronous movement. We used wearable devices to capture data on body posture, autonomic responses, and spatial proximity to investigate how postural alignment and shared arousal intertwine during this ritual. The findings reveal a dual process at play: postural alignment appears to be more localized, with worshippers synchronizing their movements with their nearest neighbors, while physiological alignment operates on a broader scale, primarily driven by the central role of the religious leader. Our findings underscore the importance of interpersonal dynamics in collective gatherings and the role of physical co-presence in fostering connections among participants, with implications extending to our understanding of group dynamics across various social settings.

In this paper, I argue that embodied cognition helps to undermine the Humean dualism of facts and values. I draw on two contributions to embodied cognition, the concept of affordances (originally developed by Gibson) and the enactive approach (originally developed by Varela, Thompson and Rosch). Gibson argued that the perceiving animal would typically be engaged in some goal-directed activity, and he speaks in this context of the animal’s perception of “affordances,” i.e., value-laden opportunities in their environment. The enactive approach treats cognition as a dynamic system that arises from the interactions between an animal and its environment. Together, these two concepts open the door to a realist account of values. Insofar as religious practices are regimens for training participants in the perception of affordances, we can underaind them as helping people move from novice to competent to expert at recognizing real good and bad in the world. 

This study investigates predictors and consequences of identity fusion, a profound sense of unity with a group, towards Turkish citizens and Syrian refugees following the catastrophic earthquakes in Türkiye on February 6th, 2023. Surveys were administered in-person to 120 Turkish earthquake survivors in the most heavily impacted areas. Results revealed challenges in establishing relationships between emotional intensity, perceived sharedness, and identity fusion due to extreme emotional intensity during the earthquake. However, mean fusion levels significantly increased with perceived shared suffering, validating predictions. Identity fusion also predicted pro-group commitment, measured by volunteerism pledges of Turkish earthquake survivors. As expected, Turkish earthquake survivors exhibited higher pro-group commitment scores than their Syrian counterparts. The study contributes to understanding the complex dynamics of identity fusion in post-catastrophe contexts.

This paper analyzes CSR theories of SA attribution, and tests them through an online survey from 40 native Filipino speakers who currently reside in the Philippines. Preliminary data suggest that when gods are involved as the subject, they are coded with non-human case markers. We also see differences depending on whether gods are framed in Tagalog or English terms: human case markers are used for English terms for gods (Lord, God, Jesus, etc.) while non-human markers are used for Tagalog terms (Diyos, Panginnon, Hesus, etc.). Such findings support certain of CSR’s theories but also problematize the more universalizing claims around cross-cultural supernatural agent attribution at the heart of certain foundational CSR theories.

Between 30 and 60% of the population have experienced sense of presence in the form of a deceased loved one (Castelnovo et al., 2015; Elsaesser et al., 2021; Streit-Horn, 2011). These experiences (i.e., ghosts, grief or bereavement hallucinations) may generally be called after death experiences (ADEs). In this paper, I will argue that 4E cognition, or the notion that cognition is shaped by dynamic interactions between the brain, body, and physical/social environments, plays a key role in understanding the cognitive underpinnings and behavioral outcomes of ADEs as both universal experiences and those deemed religious or spiritual. Drawing from mixed-methods experimental research in cognitive neuroscience, I posit that sensorimotor manipulations of a bereaved individual may induce experiences of presence more readily than in non-bereaved. Based on clinical data and preliminary findings, I will explore how future research relying on 4E cognition principles may impact the study of religious or spiritual phenomenon.