Suffering fire, brimstone, eternal - Hell is not a nice concept. But research has highlighted the social benefits of belief in the supernatural punishment, including higher economic growth in developing countries and less crime.
But there are also disadvantages, even in this life. A new study links to believe in hell, and maybe not even think, with lower levels of happiness and satisfaction in life.
"It seems that there is this commitment," said Azim Shariff, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Oregon.
No research published in January in the journal PLoS ONE, Shariff and a colleague examined international survey data to see how the belief in heaven and hell affected daily emotional states of people with a long-term measure, satisfaction life. [8 Ways Religion Impacts Your Life]
Because many, but not all people believe in heaven and hell at the same time, Shariff and Lara Aknin Simon Fraser University in British Columbia focused on those who believe in one but not the other. In most cases, this means that people who believed in heaven without hell control.
As for the survey data from 63 countries, researchers found that more than a belief in heaven beyond the belief in hell in a country, the happier and more satisfied were residents. When researchers examined individual responses, they found a similar pattern - people who believe in heaven reported greater satisfaction with life.happy poems
The study data came from the Gallup World Poll, the World Values Survey and European Values Survey. Of the 63 countries surveyed, Christianity or Islam dominated in all but eight. However, an analysis of individual responses found no significant differences in this model of faith and life satisfaction among members of the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) and those of non-Abrahamic religions.
But these studies do not exclude the possibility that the poor are more likely to believe in hell - instead of belief in hell makes people more miserable. For evidence of a causal link, the researchers conducted their own survey, asking 422 respondents in Amazon Mechanical Turk to write about heaven, hell or what they had done the day before; the researchers asked participants to rate the extent to which they have faced seven emotions: happiness, sadness, guilt, security, shame, fear and calm.
There is evidence that emotional feedback from those who have written in the sky did not differ significantly from those who wrote about the activities of the previous day. This suggests that belief in heaven on their own do not make people happier, Shariff said.
"Religious people tend to be happier, or at least claim to be happier, and is probably motivated by the social aspect of religion," he said. Other research suggests that the benefits of religion spring and connections with other community it provides.
Meanwhile, participants who wrote about hell reported feeling less happiness and sadness more than others. This was true not only for religious people but also for non-religious people.happy poems
There are several possible explanations for this link hell-sadness, Shariff said. For example, because hell is a concept, write about it can promote negative feelings for that reason alone. You may also think of hell invitation unbelievers think that they may face if they are wrong in their unbelief, he said. Previous research by Shariff and Mijke Rehmtulla the University of Kansas found that countries where residents have more shares in heaven than hell have higher crime rates, and the difference in the belief the worst crime. The link, the two researchers say it is likely that belief in the supernatural punishment eliminates the antisocial behavior and motivates people to cooperate for fear of punishment.
This research is part of a broader theory of the evolution of religion that Shariff and others developed. Historically, religion seems to have been a powerful force in promoting the norms of society and build confidence. However, the police, the courts, the application of the contract, etc. secular society allows them to take over a large part of this responsibility. This change may also allow new religions - as Mormonism and Jehovah's Witnesses, which emerged in the 19th century in the United States - to find a positive tone that emphasize hell, the researchers speculate.
A more positive message to these religions could help recruit new members, Shariff said.happy poems
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