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.”
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.”
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.”
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 […]
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.”









