Dr. Lisa Miller is a senior clinical psychologist at Princeton University. Through her research, outlined in her book The Awakened Brain, she believes that part of our brain is uniquely designed for spirituality, Denison Forum reports.

In her book, Miller writes that studies have shown that people who cultivate this connection with God are:

• 80% less less likely to have addiction struggles,
• 80% less likely to engage in “socially destructive behavior”, and
• 60% more likely to have a fulfilling life.

This shouldn’t really surprise us as we were created in the ‘image and likeness’ of God (Genesis 1:26-27). This means God created us to have a spiritual connection and relationship with Him.

Famed author, J.K. Rowling, recently admitted that she has a ‘God-shaped vacuum’ inside her, MSN reports.

Rowling has drawn the ire of Christians worldwide for her seven-part series about a young wizard named Harry Potter.

“I’ve struggled with religious faith since my mid teens,” R0wling wrote on X. “I appeared to have a God-shaped vacuum inside me, but I never seem quite able to make up my mind what to do about it.”

She went on to say that she was uncertain if she would be able resolve this before she dies.

There is a spiritual dimension to each one of us.

Neuroscientist Andrew Newberg and therapist Mark Robert Waldman make similar claims in their book, How God Changes Your Brain: Breakthrough Findings from a Leading Neuroscientist.

They state that spending just 12 minutes a day in meditation can profoundly impact a person’s well-being. It reduces stress. Engaging in prayer can also contribute to this positive effect.

Additionally, this practice can “slow down the aging process.” It not only reduces cognitive decline, it improves our thinking ability (memory, reasoning, and information processing skills).

The author’s state that these conclusions are “based on new evidence culled from brain-scan studies, a wide-reaching survey of people’s religious and spiritual experiences, and the authors’ analyses of adult drawings of God.”

Solomon writes that God has “put eternity into man’s heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 ESV). This how we are designed. We can fight it. We can deny it. But it is still there.

This God vacuum and the need to connect spiritually is real. Because of sin, the only way we can restore this connection is through faith in Jesus Christ.