Loneliness is painful and potentially deadly, according to new research at the University of Chicago that found animals, gadgets and spiritual beliefs - not just friends - ease the sense of being alone.

"It's actually a greater risk for morbidity or mortality than cigarette smoking is," says Nicholas Epley, Assistant Professor of Behavioral Science at the university's Graduate School of Business and lead author of an article on the subject in the February issue of the journal Psychological Science.

"Being lonely is a bad thing for you," he said, adding "When people lack a sense of connection with other people, they are more likely to see their pets, gadgets or gods as human-like."

The movie "Castaway" in which Tom Hanks befriended a volleyball in an isolated island depicts "the irrepressibly social nature of Homo sapiens," said co-author and colleague John Cacioppo.

The behavior carries important therapeutic and societal implications, Epley said.

"It's something special about loneliness," he said. "A brain's not so sensitive to whether it's a person or not. If it's something that has a lot of traits associated with what it means to be a human, then all the better for us, it seems."

Scott Akalis of Harvard University also contributed to the study.