'Love hormone' enhances spirituality in men, says new study

September 24, 2016

Washington, Sep 24: 'Love hormone' Oxytocin which promotes social bonding may also enhance spirituality in men, a new study has found.

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The research, from Duke University in the US, found that participants reported a greater sense of spirituality shortly after taking oxytocin and a week later.

They also experienced more positive emotions during meditation, said lead author Patty Van Cappellen, a social psychologist at Duke.

"Spirituality and meditation have each been linked to health and well-being in previous research. We were interested in understanding biological factors that may enhance those spiritual experiences," Van Cappellen said.

"Spirituality is complex and affected by many factors. However, oxytocin does seem to affect how we perceive the world and what we believe," she added.

Study participants were all male and the findings apply only to men, researchers said.
In general, oxytocin operates somewhat differently in men and women, she said. Oxytocin's effects on women's spirituality still needs to be studied.

Oxytocin occurs naturally in the body. Produced by the hypothalamus, it acts as a hormone and as a neurotransmitter, affecting many regions of the brain.

It is stimulated during sex, childbirth and breastfeeding. Recent research has highlighted oxytocin's role in promoting empathy, trust, social bonding and altruism.

To test how oxytocin might influence spirituality, researchers administered the hormone to one group and a placebo to another.

Those who received oxytocin were more likely to say afterwards that spirituality was important in their lives and that life has meaning and purpose.

This was true after taking into account whether the participant reported belonging to an organised religion or not.

Participants who received oxytocin were also more inclined to view themselves as interconnected with other people and living things, giving higher ratings to statements such as "All life is interconnected" and "There is a higher plane of consciousness or spirituality that binds all people."

Study subjects also participated in a guided meditation. Those who received oxytocin reported experiencing more positive emotions during meditation, including awe, gratitude, hope, inspiration, interest, love and serenity.

Oxytocin did not affect all participants equally, though. Its effect on spirituality was stronger among people with a particular variant of the CD38 gene, a gene that regulates the release of oxytocin from hypothalamic neurons in the brain.

Van Cappellen cautioned that the findings should not be over-generalised as there are many definitions of spirituality.

The study appears in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience.

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May 17,2024

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Hubballi, May 17: Karnataka Police have arrested the killer, Vishwa, also known as Girish, in the sensational Anjali Ambigera murder case, police said on Friday.

Preliminary investigations reveal that Vishwa was a habitual thief who exploited innocent young women. The accused is also a drunkard and was caught while attempting to commit theft. He was also part of a gang which stole bikes.

The accused targeted gullible young women, enacting a drama of love and playing the emotional card to forcefully extort gold, silver, and cash from them. When Anjali did not agree to any of his attempts to rob her and outrightly rejected his offer to go with him to Mysuru city, he brutally killed her.

The police had formed two teams to hunt down the killer. One of the teams was searching in the south Karnataka region, and another team, which launched a hunt in Davanagere, nabbed him. The accused was arrested by the police on Thursday.

The police could not catch him sooner as the killer did not carry a mobile phone and did not use his phone for 15 days, before murdering Anjali. The jurisdictional Bendigeri Police were aware of the killer's history, but even after the complaint by the girl’s family, they showed "utter negligence".

The 24-year-old Vishwa entered Anjali Ambigera's (20) residence at 5.30 A.M. on Wednesday and stabbed the young woman multiple times before she could react. Vishwa dragged Anjali Ambigera all over the house, kicking and stabbing her. Later, he pushed her into the kitchen where he stabbed her repeatedly.

Despite efforts by Anjali’s grandmother and two sisters to stop the attacker, he killed her and managed to flee. The incident occurred in the Veerapura Oni area within the jurisdiction of the Bendigeri Police Station.

Vishwa had been blackmailing Anjali and pressurising her to accompany him to Mysuru without informing her parents. The incident which took place close on the heels of MCA student Neha Hiremath’s brutal murder by the jilted lover has raised concern over the safety of women all across the state.

The BJP had demanded the resignation of Home Minister G. Parameshwara while the Congress leaders have also demanded that the Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner Renuka Sukumar should be transferred for failing to sensitise the police force regarding issues of women’s safety.

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May 4,2024

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Mangaluru, May 4: A tragic incident unfurled last evening in Subrahmanya of Kadaba taluk in Dakshina Kananda, where a young gentleman, who had recently entered the bonds of matrimony a mere ten days hence, met his untimely demise due to a lightning strike.

As twilight descended, a tempestuous thunderstorm, accompanied by billowing rain clouds, cast its shadow over the locale.

Somasundar was diligently engaged in the task of piling up dried nuts in the yard to shield them from the impending deluge, when fate cruelly intervened, subjecting him to the fatal force of a lightning bolt.

Despite the expeditious efforts to convey him to Kadaba Community Hospital subsequent to his sudden indisposition, he tragically succumbed to his injuries. 

Somasundar, who operated a car washing enterprise in proximity to Subrahmanya, is mourned by his mother, sister, and wife.

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May 12,2024

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Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat High School in Harekala, popularly known as Padma Shri awardee Harekala Hajabba’s school, is gearing up to inaugurate its first batch of Pre-University (PU) courses starting June 1. 

The government issued an order to elevate the school established by Padma Shri awardee Harekala Hajabba to the status of a PU College a few months ago.

The School Education and Literacy Department (PU Education) has formally sanctioned the upgrade for the school.

CD Jayanna, the deputy director of PU Education, confirmed that all necessary approvals have been obtained from the government to initiate PU classes.

“Hajabba’s school will kick off PU classes for its inaugural batch on June 1. We have appointed a senior lecturer as the interim principal for the PU college. Presently, the school possesses the essential temporary infrastructure to begin the I PU batch. Plans are underway to enhance the infrastructure for the PU college in the future. Currently, the school boasts adequate classrooms and facilities to commence PU classes,” stated Jayanna.

Harekala Hajabba, an orange vendor, personally erected the school in his native village, New Padpu in Harekala, situated approximately 35 km from Mangaluru. For several years, he has tirelessly petitioned the government for the establishment of a PU college.

Expressing his gratitude, Hajabba mentioned that 19 students who recently completed their SSLC examinations are poised to enroll in the new PU college. He added, “We anticipate enrollment from neighboring villages as well. Both the interim principal and the PU education department have been diligently orchestrating the necessary arrangements to initiate classes.” 

He extended his appreciation to the government, local representatives, and officials for their unwavering support.

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