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David DeSteno in the Press

For 2026, There’s a Better Way to Be Hopeful

Op-ed by David DeSteno is a professor of psychology at Northeastern University and the host of the podcast “How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality.”

The Psychological Value of Repentance

Religious rituals facilitate moral accountability in a way that is rare in secular society. Without religion “there’s no real, formalized way to do it,” said David DeSteno, a professor of psychology at Northeastern University.
Huberman Lab

Science & Health Benefits of Belief in God & Religion

⁠Dr. David DeSteno, PhD⁠, a professor of psychology at Northeastern University joins the Huberman Lab. 

Rosh Hashana Can Change Your Life (Even if You’re Not Jewish)

By David DeSteno. Dr. DeSteno is a professor of psychology at Northeastern University and the host of the podcast “How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality.”
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Is Religion Good for Your Health?

David DeSteno is a professor of psychology at Northeastern University and host of the PRX Podcast “How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality.”
The Boston Globe logo.

Church should be more like Burning Man

Article by David DeSteno, a professor of psychology at Northeastern University and host of the podcast “How God Works.”
The Wall Street Journal Logo

Does Religion Make People More Ethical?

Afterward, when they were asked to help a stranger, 69% of people in the first group agreed, compared with only 40% in the second group. Compassion—which Buddhist meditation magnifies—makes people kinder and less likely to seek revenge. In another experiment, my lab at Northeastern University found that people who had meditated for 8 weeks were […]
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Could Religious Rituals Teach Your Team How To Get In Sync?

As David DeSteno, professor of psychology at Northeastern University, notes, in his book How God Works: The Science Behind the Benefits of Religion, these types of synchronizing actions appear in many religions – from the chanting of Buddhists and Hindus to the kneeling of Christians and Muslims to the swaying of Jews during prayer. 

A Spirit of Gratitude Is Healthy for Society

For this newsletter I interviewed David DeSteno, a professor of psychology at Northeastern University (about 35 miles from where the Pilgrims landed), who is one of the leading authorities on the social effects of gratitude.
San Diego Union-Tribune

Do the rituals of religion make you a better person?

So the psychology professor from Northeastern University in Boston set out to see what other research was out there. The result is a new book released by Simon and Schuster: “How God Works: The Science Behind the Benefits of Religion.”

David DeSteno for Northeastern Global News