Does Faith Distract Our View of Reality?

Looking at religious concepts and how Van Der Leeuw expressed them, I become curious on how faith and religious studies represent our true emotions through representation. The example that religion is expressed through actions such as dance, does it distract us from reaching the end goal or topic discussed? Are these action preventing us from reaching a certain "Nirvana" or climax? If you focus on strict prayer like Buddhism or Islamic traditions, do these represent a type of extremism when it comes to God, or does it reveal that without one's focus and self-control we are not doing what that God intended us to do. I think it becomes very opinionated based on people's true beliefs, and some exercise prayer types differently.