general domain of sociality and social relationships, a domain heavily influenced by our genetic constitution as a social species. Indeed, the importance of sociality may be more related to beliefs and attitudes about the meaningfulness of relationships than their existence or number. And again, beliefs about social relationships also have real consequences.
Conclusion
Beliefs impact thoughts and actions. This may be reflected in phenomena as diverse as biasing a behavioral disposition (such as slapping a donkey), coloring our perception of the environment, or determining how we perceive the quality of our social (including spiritual) relations. Psychology can also impact physiology, and physiology, in turn, can influence our thoughts and emotions. Psychophysiology is the study of these relationships, and promises to illuminate the intricacies of psychosomatic relations and the heretofore “invisible” mechanisms that mediate these links. The relations between the mind and the body, the so-called mind-body problem, are complex and still rather obscure. Nevertheless, the mind-body problem is yielding to science, and the problem it poses is progressively diminishing. Among the components of the mind- body problem yielding to rigorous scientific inquiry are the effects of spiritual beliefs including feelings of closeness to God.
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