Mounting deaths and destruction paint a horrific landscape
He noticed that before heading out to the dangerous open sea, the islands’ fishermen would, among other things, paint their canoes black, red, and white and chant spells.
Rituals have been around for a very long time. In the early 20th century, anthropologist Bronislzw Malinowski visited the Trobriand Islands in Papua New Guinea.
Noticing that they did not do the same before fishing in the calm lagoon, he concluded that the rituals were developed to help deal with the unpredictability of the ocean.
In Indonesia, newly-married couples of the Tidong community are banned from using the bathroom for three days after their marriage, as using the bathroom is said to bring them bad luck.
In Botswana, there is a carving of a python in a cave. It is surrounded by thousands of stone spearheads that archaeologists believe were burnt in sacrifice to the snake.
Psychologists define "ritual" as: “a predefined sequence of symbolic actions often characterized by formality and repetition that lacks direct instrumental purpose.”
Research suggests that rituals are able to convince our brains of constancy and predictability and act as “ritual buffers against uncertainty and anxiety.”
However, scientists now believe that rituals likely do more than help us live out our values. They may, in fact, help reduce anxiety.
Ritualistic behavior is very common and it is thought that we primarily develop rituals to live out our values, e.g. Christians christen their babies to symbolize spiritual rebirth.
In one experiment, two groups of participants were asked to sing Journey’s ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ in front of a group of total strangers.
The anxiety levels of the two groups’ participants were measured by heart rate, feelings of anxiety, and quality of performance of the song.
The first group of participants was asked to perform a ritual before the performance, while the other was asked to just sit and wait patiently.
There have been a number of studies that show rituals can reduce anxiety in a number of different contexts.
Sports psychologists also believe that pre-performance rituals can benefit athletes by improving execution and perhaps reducing anxiety.
In his 2012 autobiography, he described these rituals as “a way of placing myself in a match, ordering my surroundings to match the order I seek in my head.”
Rituals may also help us deal with bereavement. It is believed that end of life rituals can create a stronger bond between the dead and the living.
This is perhaps to do with the fact that bereavement triggers a sense of loss of control, and performing a ritual helps us feel we are taking back that control.
In one study from 2014, researchers found that participants who performed rituals after a loved one’s death, such as washing that person’s car every week, had a lower level of grief.
According to one UK psychologist, “Having social networks has frequently been linked to well-being, and it is thought that rituals— frequent group gatherings—are particularly good at facilitating such networks.”
There are some disadvantages to rituals, however. For example, research suggests that the performance of rituals can cause inter-group bias.
The positive effects of ritual are visible not only on an individual level, but also on a group level. Rituals can improve social bonding when performed in a group.
According to the co-author of the study, "Participants who completed the ritual sang better, had significantly lower heart rates, and reported feeling less anxious than participants who had not performed the ritual."
In one study, groups of children were given bags of string and beads. The children who participated in collective rituals showed their goodies more to those children who also participated.
Also, when a group ritual takes on a degrading or humiliating aim, as sometimes happens in college initiation ceremonies, it can become harmful and dangerous.
However, it seems that overall the pros of ritualistic behavior outweigh the cons. Why not develop a personal ritual today? It just might help you get through that tough task.
Sources: (BBC) (India Times)
See also: Subtle signs that someone is struggling with anxiety
While the word "ritual" is often associated with religion, and indeed many religious rituals are practiced the world over, in fact rituals come in all shapes and sizes.
In Bali, both men and women have their teeth filed as part of their preparation for marriage. Smoothed teeth symbolize control of sinful emotions such as lust and greed.
But, of course, ritualistic behavior goes back even further than that: the earliest evidence of human ritual practice is thought to date back 70,000 years.
This is because group rituals demonstrate that the members of the group are like-minded and share the same values, which fosters an atmosphere of trust.
Tennis star Rafael Nadal apparently has as many as 19 pre-performance rituals that he performs before each match.
Rituals have been around since as long as humanity can recall, in their many forms and guises. Given their association with religion, we often think of rituals as a way to live out our beliefs and nothing more. However, scientists are now beginning to think that performing rituals can produce anti-anxiety effects that could have a wide application in our everyday lives.
Check out this gallery to learn about the surprising power of ritual.
The unique power of ritual
The anxiety-reducing effects of ritualistic behavior
LIFESTYLE Religion
Rituals have been around since as long as humanity can recall, in their many forms and guises. Given their association with religion, we often think of rituals as a way to live out our beliefs and nothing more. However, scientists are now beginning to think that performing rituals can produce anti-anxiety effects that could have a wide application in our everyday lives.
Check out this gallery to learn about the surprising power of ritual.