Dr. David DeSteno on Huberman Lab: Why Prayer Cuts Cortisol

Prayer mechanics slow breathing and raise vagal tone directly. DeSteno cites 30% lower all-cause mortality over 15 years in large longitudinal cohorts.

Andrew HubermanhostDr. David DeStenoguest

Aug 25, 20252h 24mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: August 25, 2025
Duration: 2h 24m
Channel: Huberman Lab
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

My guest is ⁠Dr. David DeSteno, PhD⁠, a professor of psychology at Northeastern University. We discuss science, God and religion, including what science can and can’t reveal about the existence of God and where religious faith and science do and do not align. We also discuss why questions about life’s origins, miracles and the afterlife have persisted across time. Dr. DeSteno explains how religious rituals cause meaningful improvements in mental and physical health and how prayer and gratitude can markedly reduce stress, increase honesty and compassion and buffer against loneliness and despair. Finally, we explore what distinguishes religions and mission-based communities from cults, and we discuss the role that communities such as 12-step and Burning Man play in modern life. Episode show notes: https://go.hubermanlab.com/wXf7nNR *Thank you to our sponsors* AG1: ⁠https://drinkag1.com/huberman⁠ Our Place: ⁠https://fromourplace.com/huberman⁠ LMNT: ⁠https://drinklmnt.com/huberman⁠ Eight Sleep: ⁠https://eightsleep.com/huberman⁠ Function: ⁠https://functionhealth.com/huberman⁠ *Follow Huberman Lab* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab Threads: https://www.threads.net/@hubermanlab X: https://twitter.com/hubermanlab Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hubermanlab TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hubermanlab LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-huberman Website: https://www.hubermanlab.com Newsletter: https://www.hubermanlab.com/newsletter *Dr. David DeSteno* Website: https://davedesteno.com Northeastern University academic profile: https://cos.northeastern.edu/people/david-desteno How God Works (book): https://amzn.to/4njja27 How God Works (Podcast): https://www.howgodworks.org Books: https://amzn.to/3HRWIhh Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=N-kiWT4AAAAJ X: https://x.com/daviddesteno Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howgodworkspod BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/daviddesteno.bsky.social LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-desteno-016ab6110 *Timestamps* 00:00:00 David DeSteno 00:02:10 Science & Belief in God, Does God Exist? 00:07:06 Universe Origins & Scientific Questions; Religion & Life/Health Benefits 00:15:16 Sponsors: Our Place & LMNT 00:18:23 Russell's Teapot, “Overbelief”, Faith; Religio-prospecting, Traditional Practices 00:26:49 Mediation & Compassion, Prayer & Stress Relief, Tools: Meditation, Prayer 00:34:40 Superstition, Prayers & Rituals; Mourning Rituals, Eulogies, Shiva, Connection 00:43:58 Grieving & Different Religious Traditions 00:47:15 Sponsors: AG1 & Eight Sleep 00:50:12 God vs Religion?; Prayer, Community, Religious Rituals & Ideals 00:56:17 Psychedelics, Ego Death, Right vs Left-Handed Roots 01:01:24 Good & Evil; Lies & Cheating; Gratitude & Prayer 01:11:03 Loneliness, Community & Religion, Relationship with God & “3AM Friend” 01:16:25 Sponsor: Function 01:18:12 Feeling God; Intelligent Design, Evolution, Eye; Awe 01:25:21 Overwhelm & Spiritual Experiences, Awe Despite Understanding 01:31:01 Fear of Death, Afterlife, Tool: Contemplating Death 01:37:11 Time Perception, Connectedness, Traditional Practices 01:42:53 Addiction; 12-Step Programs & Surrender to a Higher Power 01:49:02 New Religions, Burning Man, Modern Spiritual Experiences, Cults 01:58:06 Cults vs Religions, Religious Interpretation & Reorientation 02:03:56 AI, Technology, Religion & Intelligence; Religious “Branding” 02:11:05 Religion Figures & Flaws, Direct Experience of God 02:15:13 Finding a Belief System, Embracing Religious Practices, Tool: Sampling Religions 02:21:40 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow & Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer

SPEAKERS

Andrew Huberman
host
Dr. David DeSteno
guest
Narrator
other

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Huberman Lab, featuring Andrew Huberman and Dr. David DeSteno, Dr. David DeSteno on Huberman Lab: Why Prayer Cuts Cortisol explores science Reveals Powerful Health Benefits Of Faith, Ritual, And Prayer Andrew Huberman and psychologist David DeSteno explore whether belief in God and religious practice are compatible with science, concluding that God's existence is scientifically untestable but that the effects of religion on humans are very testable. Longitudinal and lab data show that religious engagement—especially communal practice, formal prayer, and ritual—robustly improves physical health, mental health, honesty, compassion, and social connection. They dissect mechanisms such as breath-regulated prayer, gratitude, motor synchrony, mourning rituals, and surrender to a higher power, emphasizing how these act as sophisticated mind-body technologies. The conversation also tackles Pascal’s wager, Russell’s teapot, intelligent design, fear of death, cults versus enduring religions, AI-era spirituality, and how to rationally “try on” practices without being told what to believe.

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