Could you please give me some examples of how supernatural beliefs help people or advance humanity?

I've seen plenty of examples of supernatural beliefs harming people (psychic healers) and stopping progress (the geocentric solar system), so I'd like to hear some examples of how the supernatural aids people and civilization. Can you describe a "worst case" scenario of what would happen if we eliminated supernatural thinking? Would people die, and progress come to a screeching halt as a result? Please, be as specific as you like.