Religious extremism driven by anxiety, says research

A series of studies published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that people who were asked whether they would die for their faith or support their country going to war in its defence were more likely to say yes when they were in anxiety-provoking situations.
The anxiety-provoking situations included being given complex mathematical problems, considering a dilemma in one's personal life, or mulling over uncertainties in a relationship. In all the studies, people who had been exposed to the anxiety-inducing scenario were more extreme in their religious convictions and more enthusiastically attached to their ideals than those who had been in neutral situations.The scientists also found that religious zeal was most pronounced among people who were already vulnerable to anxiety and who felt hopeless about achieving their goals in daily life.
Professor Ian McGregor of York University's psychology department, who led the research, said that a psychological phenomenon called "Reactive Approach Motivation" is behind the findings. He told Science Daily: "Approach motivation is a tenacious state in which people become 'locked and loaded' on whatever goal or ideal they are promoting.
"They feel powerful, and thoughts and feelings related to other issues recede.
"By simply promoting ideals and convictions in their own minds, people can activate approach motivation, narrow their motivational focus away from anxious problems, and feel serene as a result."
Earlier research by the same team found that strong religious beliefs are associated with low activity in the part of the brain that controls anxiety, the anterior cingulate cortex.
Prof McGregor says: "Taken together, the results of this research program suggest that bold but vulnerable people gravitate to idealistic and religious extremes for relief from anxiety."

PHOTO: i.telegraph.co.uk...

No sure if this is off topic really... But it sure feels really appropriate...

I'm not surprised by this..

Does the 9/11 terror attack (and subsequent hype by the media, president, vice president, congress, senate, and republican party) constitute as "anxiety inducing?" Because that would explain a whole lot..


Further proof that religion is for suckers

reply to post by xspinx


i'm thinking.... and trying to imagine Joan of Arc being driven by anxiety...

no... i can only resolve she was driven by a Love of God, in her own mind.

same too with those pious folks that go into states of religious ecstacy, or have stigmata...
my opinion is that the research study is biased toward stereotyping fanatics

reply to post by xspinx


Could you link to the original article as well please?

Line 2:

What gets my goat is that the text books in schools, written years ago give the readers history, dates and information e.t.c. Therefore, after reading them and understanding them they believe what they have read as gospel. Yet every now and then we get little articles like this that contradict what has been written and nobody says anything about it, its all kept hush hush whilst the text books are rewritten. NOBODY knows for certain AYTHING its pure speculation built around the perceptions of archaeologists and historians.

reply to post by lordtyp0


"We are the custodians of lifes meaning" - Wow Carl really was the greatest it was he who brought me in to the realms of dimensional realities and through his fundamental approach to lifes greatest meanings the seed was indeed sown.

Thanks for the video I have never seen this one before.

Originally posted by franspeakfree
reply to post by lordtyp0

 

"We are the custodians of lifes meaning" - Wow Carl really was the greatest it was he who brought me in to the realms of dimensional realities and through his fundamental approach to lifes greatest meanings the seed was indeed sown.

Thanks for the video I have never seen this one before.

That vid almost makes me tear up each time I see it. The world lost a truly great man back in 96.

Extremism of any variety as well as religious zeal is always accompanied by psychological issues. Zealots and extremists should generally be avoided at all costs.