http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=religious-experiences-shrink-part-of-brain

"The authors offer the hypothesis that the greater hippocampal atrophy in selected religious groups might be related to stress. They argue that some individuals in the religious minority, or those who struggle with their beliefs, experience higher levels of stress. This causes a release of stress hormones that are known to depress the volume of the hippocampus over time. This might also explain the fact that both non-religious as well as some religious individuals have smaller hippocampal volumes."

Wouldn't it be more accurate to say, "Emotional stress causes hippocampal atrophy?"

/layman

Strykary Wrote:
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> Wouldn't it be more accurate to say, "Emotional
> stress causes hippocampal atrophy?"
>
> /layman

Yeah, I'm not sure that religion has much to do with it other than maybe some religions are more stressful than others.

But this seems disingenous at best.

Strykary Wrote:
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> But this seems disingenous at best.

Depends on the religion, but it you belong to a church that demands all your time or money or a church which is always preaching hell, it is bound to be stressful. On the other hand, if you belong to a liberal, feel good church which offers support it would probably relieve stress. I agree that this is misleading.I don't know why religion was even brouht into it other than a general statement that some religions can cause stress.