My Thesis;
A belief in God is more do with the physiology and psychological [related to breathing, CO2 tolerance] than there is a real pre-existing God waiting for believers to believe in that God.
Note, in non-spiritual breathing matters, swimming, freediving and other sports can increase one breath retention period [NRP and MRP] and hold/deliver more oxygen in the blood to enhance performance.
In the ‘spiritual’ perspective, it is more about CO2 tolerance, not about oxygen levels.
When there is the slightest build up of CO2, the inherent CO2 detector is triggered by the autonomic system which invoke a sense of urgency and panic to breathe.
This program is related to an existential crisis, i.e. no air = a threat of death.
The NRP [normal retention period] is thus one’s natural marker to avoid an existential crisis.
There is also a oxygen [fresh] detector, thus when it detect fresh air the urgency and panic is lessened and then a sense of relief.
Note the body can still survive from real brain death without air for at least 5 minutes [there are evidences of longer periods], so why an uncontrollable involuntary panic of death at say 30 seconds?
Thus from the above we can infer those with low NRP [Normal breath Retention Period] e.g. <30 seconds has a high sensitivity to an INVOLUNTARY [subconscious] threat of death, i.e. an existential crisis. Note;
How Long Can You Hold Your Breath?
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This existential crisis is based on an INVOLUNTARY [subconscious] threat of death generate Angst that trigger theists to cling to a God to relieve the sufferings and thus feeling psychological comforts.
The belief in a God provide a sense of relief to the inherent existential threat.
Thus a belief in God is more do with the physiology and psychological than there is a real pre-existing God waiting for believers to believe in that God.
Note in contrast, Buddhism is non-theistic and do not use God as a relief but rather focus on meditation with special emphasis of breathing, i.e. CO2 tolerance and control.
Note,
Similarly in the higher spiritual practices of Hinduism, there is also a Science of Breath, i.e. pranayama. But since the higher spiritual practices still involved some traces of ultimate being, i.e. Brahman, it does not attain the highest level of spirituality.
My Main Point is;
A belief in God is more do with the physiology and psychological [basic breath retention] than there is a real pre-existing God waiting for believers to believe in that God.
Agree/Disagree?