A recent study has found that participation in religious services may raise individuals’ tolerance for pain by activating the body’s natural opioid system. Researchers from Oxford Brookes University conducted the study at 24 religious gatherings in Britain and Brazil, involving 265 participants from diverse faith traditions, including Anglican, Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, and Umbanda rituals.

The research, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, measured changes in pain threshold before and after the services using a blood pressure cuff inflation test. Participants also reported their feelings of social connectedness within the congregation. Results indicated that after attending the services, individuals experienced a statistically significant increase in pain tolerance alongside stronger feelings of bonding with fellow worshippers.

Dr. Valerie van Mulukom, a co-author of the study, explained that the findings suggest the body’s mu-opioid system—responsible for the effects of substances like heroin and morphine—may be naturally stimulated during collective worship. Unlike chemical sedation, this activation of an ancient biological pathway appears to enhance social cohesion and a sense of belonging.

The study encompassed a variety of religious expressions, highlighting commonalities across different faiths in producing these physiological and social effects. Participants’ pain thresholds increased most notably in those who also reported the strongest interpersonal connections during the ceremonies.

The authors propose that this natural opioid activation fosters social bonding, offering a biological underpinning for the communal aspects of religious practice. While the study does not imply that religious experiences chemically sedate individuals, it provides evidence that communal worship can influence both psychological and physiological states in measurable ways.