How to find your faith

Faith and spirituality are on the decline—but what does that mean for our happiness and sense of meaning?

In this episode of Office Hours, I approach that question not as a theologian, but as a social scientist. I explore a fundamental truth: human beings are wired to seek meaning beyond themselves. The problem today is that we're missing out on this essential part of human life.

I’ll share a three-part plan to help you transcend yourself—one that helps you manage anxiety and loneliness—and invite you to reflect more deeply on what you believe, and why it matters. And to learn more on this, check out my new book, The Meaning of Your Life (out March 31).

—

Where to find Arthur Brooks:

• Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://arthurbrooks.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.arthurbrooks.com/newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/arthurbrooks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/arthurcbrooks/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/ArthurBrooks/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGuyFRjJQFGCKzfHTBvWM6A⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthur-c-brooks/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠officehours@arthurbrooks.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

—

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(01:40) Why faith and spirituality matter for meaning

(03:00) Decline of traditional religiosity in the U.S.

(05:20) The rise of the “nones” and generational shifts

(07:45) Americans vs. other wealthy nations on religion

(09:30) Is society inevitably becoming secular?

(11:45) What brain science tells us about spirituality

(14:20) Spiritual experiences and reduced stress responses

(16:40) Mystical memory, theta waves, and altered states

(18:55) How spirituality protects against depression and anxiety

(21:10) Spirituality, loneliness, and social connection

(23:40) Make yourself smaller: why self-focus makes us miserable

(29:10) Why thinking less about yourself improves performance

(31:20) Transcendence across religions and philosophies

(34:00) Faith without conversion: meaning beyond belief

(36:10) How to explore faith (and my new book, The Meaning of Your Life)

(37:50) Q&A: loving someone who is depressed

(40:10) Q&A: missionaries vs. psychologists and happiness

(42:15) Q&A: grief, loss, and where to turn

—

Referenced:

• The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness: https://www.amazon.com/Meaning-Your-Life-Finding-Emptiness/dp/0593545427

• The Happiness Scale: https://learn.arthurbrooks.com/the-happiness-scale

• U.S. church membership falls below majority for first time: https://news.gallup.com/poll/341963/church-membership-falls-below-majority-first-time.aspx

• “Nones” on the rise: https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2012/10/09/nones-on-the-rise/

• More Americans say they’re spiritual, but not religious: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2017/09/06/more-americans-now-say-theyre-spiritual-but-not-religious/

• Awakened Brain: https://www.amazon.com/Awakened-Brain-Science-Spirituality-Inspired/dp/198485562X

• EEG activity in Carmelite nuns during a mystical experience: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18721862/

• ...References continued at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.arthurbrooks.com/office-hours⁠⁠

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(58)

What Is the Happiest Personality? (It Actually Might Be Yours)

If you’re an introvert, you might not like what the research has to say: Extroverts tend to be happier. But before you start striking up conversations with strangers in the elevator, there’s more to t...

7 Sep 50min

5 Ways to Find Your Faith

Why do so many people drift from faith in early adulthood, only to feel drawn back to it later in life? In this episode of Office Hours, I explore the Hindu concept of Ashramas and the parallels with ...

31 Aug 50min

The Three Secrets to Raising Great Kids

Being a parent is one of the most meaningful things you can do with your life, and one of the easiest things to worry about getting wrong. Most of us ultimately want the same things for our children: ...

24 Aug 45min

Success Secret: Finding People Who Disagree With You

Most of us prefer spending time with people who are like us. They think like us, share our values, and make us feel comfortable. But while similarity may be easy, it isn't always what helps us grow.In...

17 Aug 48min

One Year of Office Hours: Lessons on Love and Friendship

In this special one-year anniversary episode of Office Hours, I'm joined by six young adults to discuss the modern crisis of meaning and why so many people feel disconnected despite having more ways t...

10 Aug 1h 18min

Why You Should Let People Help You More

We usually think generosity means helping other people. But what if accepting help is generous, too?In this episode of Office Hours, I explore why letting others help us can be a gift. We’ll look at t...

3 Aug 37min

The Power of Sunlight: Protocols for Better Mood, Sleep & Happiness

It's easy to assume that we'd be happier if we lived somewhere with more sunshine. But how much does sunlight actually matter?In this episode of Office Hours, I examine what the research says about th...

27 Jul 45min

How Lying Sabotages Your Happiness

Most people don't start with huge lies. They start with little white lies meant to avoid conflict, spare someone's feelings, or make life a little easier. But what if those small compromises are quiet...

20 Jul 49min