Eye cues have been shown to stimulate rapid, reflexive, unconscious processing and in
many experimental settings to cue increased prosocial and decreased antisocial behaviour�…

From Australia to the Arctic, human groups engage in synchronous behaviour during
communal rituals. Because ritualistic synchrony is widespread, many argue that it is�…

The origins of religion and of complex societies represent evolutionary puzzles,,,,,,–. The
'moralizing gods' hypothesis offers a solution to both puzzles by proposing that belief in�…

Humans have been using language for millennia but have only just begun to scratch the
surface of what natural language can reveal about the mind. Here we propose that language�…

In recent decades, a new scientific approach to understand, explain, and predict many
features of religion has emerged. The cognitive science of religion (CSR) has amassed�…

Shamans, including medicine men, mediums, and the prophets of religious movements,
recur across human societies. Shamanism also existed among nearly all documented�…

Moralizing religions encourage people to anticipate supernatural punishments for violating
moral norms, even in anonymous interactions. This is thought to be one way large-scale�…

Billions of people from around the world believe in vengeful gods who punish immoral
behavior. These punitive religious beliefs may foster prosociality and contribute to large�…

Why do people and groups ignore, deny and resist knowledge about society's many
problems? In a world of'alternative facts','fake news' that some believe could be remedied by�…

Understanding the expansion of human sociality and cooperation beyond kith and kin
remains an important evolutionary puzzle. There is likely a complex web of processes�…