How to Find Your Faith
March 2, 2026
34,471
1,308
88
4.05%
Search the Record
IndexedEvery word spoken in this episode is indexed. Type any phrase to jump straight to the moment it was said.
Type any word or phrase that may have been spoken. Click a result to seek the player to that exact moment.
Try a name, a topic, or a quoted line
Dr Arthur Brooks Episodes Around March 2, 2026
See what was published immediately before and after this episode.
38:14Now PlayingHow to Find Your Faith
YouTube Description
as posted by the channelFaith 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 threepart plan to help you transcend yourselfone that helps you manage anxiety and lonelinessand 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:*
• Newsletter
• 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 LifeFinding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness
• The Happiness Scale
• U.S. church membership falls below majority for first time
• “Nones” on the rise
• More Americans say they’re spiritual, but not religious
• ...References continued at
Links & Promotions
Guests & Subjects Covered
Sentinel Indexing in Progress
Metadata and chapters are available. Claim extraction for this episode is pending.
All video content is delivered via YouTube embedded players in accordance with the YouTube Terms of Service. Sentinel provides research tools that promote discovery and accountability across political media.