Successful Aging: A Neuroscientist Explores the Power and Potential of Our Lives

by Daniel J. Levitin

a number of studies have shown that religious people are happier than nonreligious ones. There are a number of explanations for this but they’re not what you might think: Religious people aren’t happier because they believe in God or because they feel the comfort of God watching over them; these may be important to them and give them a sense of purpose, moral or ethical grounding, or simply the belief that they are doing the right thing, but those are not ingredients of happiness. The research suggests that religious people feel happier because religion promotes gratitude through prayers and gives them a social network, along with a sense of purpose and meaning—three things that benefit most of us, regardless of where they come from. Those social benefits appear also to accrue in the nonreligious who join a music listening group, volunteer in a soup kitchen, or have block parties with their neighbors. And religious people who are not part of a community do not seem to enjoy the high levels of happiness of those who are in one.