This is my honest opinion on religion. If this is a long post sorry, but this will be some what thought out.
I believe there is such thing on spirituality, connecting to the bigger universe. Shamans, and people through history have found, and try to explain something of greater power. When people do DMT, they talk to figures that promote love, and oneness. There is gaining evidence they believe a lot of early bible was based on DMT.
That said, I believe religions across the world, due to culture tried to express what they learned to there community, just in different ways. If you notice most religions have the same base principles. If you use religion to re-center yourself in the universe, and be a better person that is great. Just know its all the same religion, just expressed different.
People soon learned they can manipulate people with religion, and basically made it institutionalized.