The Psychological Origins of Religion and Religion’s Influence on Society
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47611/jsr.v13i2.2503Keywords:
religion, behavior, religious influence, psychology, origins of religionAbstract
Religion is undoubtedly an ambiguous yet powerful phenomenon when it comes to societal development, actions, and behavior. Understanding religion and its origins could provide insight into how civilization functions. This investigation aims to discover the psychological reasons behind the origins of religion and how religion has influenced society. It was concluded that religion utilizes fear to maintain social cooperation and evolved according to civilizations' growth, directly influences behavior positively, and could provide peace to the world. The origins of religion were found to be a cognitive by product; humans are cognitively wired to believe in religious themes, and as a state of mind expanded, religion evolved to be more complex.
Religion is undoubtedly an ambiguous yet powerful phenomenon when it comes to societal development, actions, and behavior. Understanding religion and its origins could provide insight into how civilization functions. This investigation aims to discover the psychological reasons behind the origins of religion and how religion has influenced society. It was concluded that religion utilizes fear to maintain social cooperation and evolved according to civilizations' growth, directly influences behavior positively, and could provide peace to the world. The origins of religion were found to be a cognitive by product; humans are cognitively wired to believe in religious themes, and as a state of mind expanded, religion evolved to be more complex.
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