Belief in life after death, salivary 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol, and well-being among older people without cognitive impairment dwelling in rural Japan

Abstract

These results suggest that religiosity, including belief in life after death and death/religion-related experiences, is salubriously associated with mental health among older people, especially women, living in rural Japan. The basal level of sMHPG was positively associated with life satisfaction, but not with belief in life after death.

An association between belief in life after death and serum oxytocin in older people in rural Japan

“…In the present study, older women with stronger belief in life after death had lower OT levels, whereas the correlation between OT and afterlife beliefs was not observed in older men (Table 2; refer also to Table 3, in which the interaction between afterlife beliefs and gender did not reach significance). Older Japanese women also exhibited a stronger belief in life after death than older men (Table 2; refer also to Imamura et al, 2015), which is consistent with Western literature suggesting higher religiosity among women than men (Miller and Stark, 2002;Sullins, 2006;Roth and Kroll, 2007). As mentioned earlier, the benefits for well-being and mental health associated with religious beliefs have been supported by several studies.…”

“…Thus, it is likely that Japanese beliefs in life after death stem from a syncretic religious belief system, rather than a single one. Our recent study (Imamura et al, ) revealed a positive relationship between belief in life after death and life satisfaction among older Japanese people. The results suggested that an afterlife belief, such as the Pure Land belief (Genku, ), may not only remove fear of death but also promote a better psychological state in present life.…”

“…Research exploring the association of belief in life after death with physical and mental health has revealed health‐related benefits (Flannelly et al, , ; Krause et al, ; Ellison et al, ; Bradshaw and Ellison, ). In our previous study, we found a positive relationship between well‐being and belief in life after death among older people residing in rural Japan (Imamura et al, ). In this study, we also measured salivary 3‐methoxy‐4‐hydroxyphenylglycol (sMHPG), a major metabolite of noradrenalin that is thought to indicate certain mental states, such as tension, anxiety, and depression.…”

“…We speculate that an association between OT and belief in an afterlife might be strengthened by the anxiolytic and stress‐reducing effects of OT (Taylor et al, ; Uvnäs‐Moberg, ; Smith and Wang, ; Churchland and Winkielman, ). Belief in life after death is associated with lower levels of mental disturbances, such as depression and anxiety (Flannelly et al, , ), and with higher levels of life satisfaction (Imamura et al, ). Therefore, the oxytocinergic system underlying social affiliation may also underlie the health benefits of religiosity, including belief in life after death.…”

“…Within these, religious rituals continue to be performed for deceased significant others or ancestors (e.g. Krause et al, ; Imamura et al, ). Such rituals sustain close relationships between a living person and their deceased loved ones.…”