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PODCAST

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality

While religion and science often seem at odds, there’s one thing they can agree on: people who take part in spiritual practices tend to live longer, healthier, and happier lives. The big question is: Why? In How God Works, professor Dave DeSteno takes us on a journey to find out how spirituality impacts our minds and bodies, as well as the world in which we live.He speaks to leading scientists and philosophers, religious thinkers, and thought leaders to explore what we can learn from the

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All Episodes

36:01

Succeeding Without Trying

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality ·

2024/10/13

We spend a lot of time on How God Works talking about how spirituality can offer tools to become better versions of ourselves. And while learning to be happier, healthier and more resilient are all positive things to strive for, they can also lead us down a different path - an obsession with productivity and self-optimization… which can lead to a culture of trying to grind or life-hack our way through everything.But what if the secret to success lies in doing less, not more? On this

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31:16

Rethinking Regret

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality ·

2024/09/29

Regret can be a double-edged sword. It can be painful, and enduring, but we can also learn important lessons from it - IF we treat it right. Most religions speak of forgiveness and compassion, not only toward others but also toward oneself. Still, letting go can be difficult to do at times. So how do we learn from regret and start anew?Dave speaks with best selling author Daniel Pink, and renowned Buddhist teacher Sharon Salzberg to learn about the science of regret and how some spiritual

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37:14

Rethinking Sin

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality ·

2024/09/15

For many people, the word “sin” is associated with harsh judgment and shame. Or, it’s used to talk about guilty pleasures like consuming decadent desserts... But is this concept as harmful or outdated as it seems?Join Dave as he talks with Elizabeth Oldfield about Christianity’s Seven Deadly Sins, and how reconceptualizing them for modern life can offer a science-backed user’s manual of sorts to find joy and connection in this world, whatever your beliefs. Elizabeth Oldfield is host of The

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01:43

Season 7 Trailer

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality ·

2024/09/08

Join us for Season 7 of How God Works, starting next week!

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37:50

Making God Real (2022)

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality ·

2024/08/25

We've had a lot of new listeners join us of the past year, so while we're hard at work on our next season, we thought we'd share some favorites you might have missed from the archives.Have you ever heard a voice, seen an image, or felt a presence around you that you couldn’t explain? If you have, you’re not alone. More people than you might think report having these kinds of experiences. For some, it can be easy to write these off as tricks of the mind. But for others, especially the

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33:51

Death (2022)

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality ·

2024/08/11

We've had a lot of new listeners join us of the past year, so while we're hard at work on our next season, we thought we'd share some favorites you might have missed from the archives.As a society that fears death, we tend to avoid the subject. But the key to having a positive end-of-life experience might come in doing just the opposite. On this episode, we’ll hear from philosopher Simon Critchley, Boston-area chaplains Ruth Delfiner, Sarah Byrne-Martelli, and Maude Quinn, and Threshold

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26:38

Transcendence (2021)

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality ·

2024/07/28

We've had a lot of new listeners join us of the past year, so while we're hard at work on our next season, we thought we'd share some favorites you might have missed from the archives.For centuries, many cultures have used psychedelics to induce mystical states. And while in the US they’ve mostly been used as recreational drugs, interest in their power to offer a rapid route to transcendence has recently been growing. But in our haste to use these chemicals to alter, and perhaps even heal,

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39:15

A Holiday From Tech Addiction (2022)

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality ·

2024/07/14

We've had a lot of new listeners join us of the past year, so while we're hard at work on our next season, we thought we'd share some favorites you might have missed from the archives. Since this episode was first published, the Surgeon General has issued an advisory about the effects of social media on youth mental health, and, more recently, called for warning label on all social media platforms. Time with family, friends and loved ones is supposed to be at the center of the holiday

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0:32

How God Works Survey!

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality ·

2024/06/24

Hey Listeners, as we plan future seasons, we'd love to know what you appreciate most about the show... and what you think we can improve or would like to see us cover. If you have five minutes to spare, please consider responding to our audience survey. Thanks!

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39:09

The Spiritual (and Political) Crisis in the US

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality ·

2024/06/10

Hey Listeners, we also want to hear from you! Please take a few minutes to fill out our audience survey and be a part of shaping future seasons. Anger, loneliness, and despair are hitting record levels in the US. Our social and political fabrics are fraying. Is the turn away from religion in the US part of the problem? And if so, might a spiritual renaissance (even among the secular left) help us find new ways to flourish? Join Dave as he talks with podcast host Krista Tippett and US

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50:08

Live Event: Can Religion & Science Get Along in the...

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality ·

2024/05/27

Science and religion can often seem at loggerheads. But does it have to be that way? Dr. Francis Collins, one of the world’s leading scientists, doesn’t think so. As an internationally renowned geneticist, a recent past director of the US National Institutes of Health (where he helped guide the U.S. response to COVID), and an avowed Christian, he’s a leading voice for how and why belief in God can be rational, and for a greater openness to science among Evangelical Christians.In a special

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36:46

How God Works… for Animals?

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality ·

2024/05/13

When it comes to how we treat other animals, humanity’s track record is spotty at best. Has it always been that way? And how do the beliefs we hold about animals shape how we treat them? Are they really as different from us as Western culture has long suggested?Join Dave as he speaks with anthropologist Dave Aftandilian about how different religious traditions may play a role in influencing the way people relate to other animals, and with biologist turned wildlife filmmaker and writer Tom

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29:50

Modern Witchcraft

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality ·

2024/04/29

Do you feel connected to nature’s rhythms and the peace that they provide? Are cooking, crafting, or other small daily rituals a form of spell work or spirituality for you? If you’re a witch, the answers are a definite yes.Long in the shadows, Wicca and witchcraft are now on the rise. Join Dave as we explore what’s driving interest in these religions and dispel some of the stereotypes around them. We’ll talk to Thorn Mooney, a Wiccan high priestess and religious studies scholar about

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37:44

Tiny Religions

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality ·

2024/04/15

Ever heard of the Bartonian Metaphysical Society? How about the Druze? If you’re like most people, you probably haven’t. On this episode, we ask: What’s it like to be a member of a tiny religion in a world dominated by “Big God”?From the early days of new religious movements to the precarious old age of ancient faiths, join Dave as we explore the unique experiences, joys and challenges of being one of the few rather than one of the many. We'll talk to sociologist Susan Jean Palmer about

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34:05

U.F.Whoa!

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality ·

2024/04/01

Religion is often about powerful beings coming down from the skies and humans yearning to go up to join them. Does that mean we can swap aliens in for God? More and more people seem to think so. In fact, many spiritually-minded people are looking to UFOs as opportunities to commune with enlightened alien teachers. Some believe they’re even aliens themselves, sent here to prepare us for a new age. But when religion gets mixed with conspiracy theory, things can sometimes take a darker

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36:55

The Power of Pilgrimage

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality ·

2024/03/18

What makes a trip a pilgrimage? And why have people from across the globe made these treks for millennia? Is it the destination that makes these journeys so important to so many cultures? Or is it the community and meaning-making that happen along the way? And how are people changed by the experience after they come home?Join Dave as he talks with writer and New York Times contributor Aatish Taseer about what he saw last year when he went on pilgrimages into the hearts of three faiths

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32:58

Is War Holy?

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality ·

2024/03/04

Is religion a source of conflict, or a way to end it? From the tragic situation in the Middle East to rising Christian Nationalism in the US, it might seem the former. But for faiths that emphasize love, compassion, and forgiveness, might the latter also be true?Join Dave as he talks with theologian Miroslav Volf about how religion blurs with political identity and violent ideologies, and why the answer to this problem might not be to remove religion from our lives and the public square,

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01:49

Season 6 Trailer

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality ·

2024/02/26

Join us for Season 6 of How God Works, starting next week!

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49:30

How God Works Presents: No Small Endeavor with Lee C....

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality ·

2024/01/28

Hey How God Works listeners! While we’re hard at work on Season 6, we’d like to invite you to check out No Small Endeavor, a podcast that explores what it means to live a good life, hosted by professor of theology and ethics Lee C. Camp.

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34:29

Finding Hope in Dark Times

How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality ·

2023/12/31

Surveys show feelings of sadness and despair peaked in 2023. So as we look to the new year, it's understandable why any of us might be feeling pessimistic, even hopeless. But these feelings aren't written in stone. We always have a choice. It's in these darkest of times, when all feels lost, that hope helps us find our way...not just to heal ourselves, but also the world around us.On this episode, we'll talk with the Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, about

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