Psychology & Counseling
![Dimitris Xygalatas - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_a_dimitris_xygalatas.jpg)
Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living
A pioneering anthropologist takes readers on a 'fascinating, well-researched' (Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE) journey through the rich tapestry of human ritual-showing how and why our most irrational behaviors are a key driver of our success."
Ritual is one of the oldest, and certainly most enigmatic, threads in the history of human culture. It presents a profound paradox: people ascribe the utmost importance to their rituals, but few can explain why they are so important. Apparently pointless ceremonies pervade every documented society, from handshakes to hexes, hazings to parades. Before we ever learned to farm, we were gathering in giant stone temples to perform elaborate rites and ceremonies. And yet, though rituals exist in every culture and can persist nearly unchanged for centuries, their logic has remained a mystery-until now.
In Ritual, pathfinding scientist Dimitris Xygalatas leads us on an enlightening tour through this shadowy realm of human behavior. Armed with cutting-edge technology and drawing on discoveries from a wide range of disciplines, he presents a powerful new perspective on our place in the world. In birthday parties and coronations, in silent prayer, in fire-walks and terrifying rites of passage, in all the bewildering variety of human life, Ritual reveals the deep and subtle mechanisms that bind us together.
Ritual is one of the oldest, and certainly most enigmatic, threads in the history of human culture. It presents a profound paradox: people ascribe the utmost importance to their rituals, but few can explain why they are so important. Apparently pointless ceremonies pervade every documented society, from handshakes to hexes, hazings to parades. Before we ever learned to farm, we were gathering in giant stone temples to perform elaborate rites and ceremonies. And yet, though rituals exist in every culture and can persist nearly unchanged for centuries, their logic has remained a mystery-until now.
In Ritual, pathfinding scientist Dimitris Xygalatas leads us on an enlightening tour through this shadowy realm of human behavior. Armed with cutting-edge technology and drawing on discoveries from a wide range of disciplines, he presents a powerful new perspective on our place in the world. In birthday parties and coronations, in silent prayer, in fire-walks and terrifying rites of passage, in all the bewildering variety of human life, Ritual reveals the deep and subtle mechanisms that bind us together.
Editorial Reviews
"In the early 1960s most ethologists maintained that personality, decision making, emotions, and culture were unique to humans, but chimpanzee research helped to dispel that arrogant thinking. And now Dimitris Xygalatas shows that rituals are not confined to humans but are present in many mammals, birds, and even insects. This is a fascinating, well-researched book about a fascinating subject. You will learn a lot."―Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace
"Ritual is a deep, engaging, magnificent book. Full of vivid stories about the myriad ritual behaviors of human beings - from the prayers made to countless gods to kissing dice at craps to wearing feathered gloves full of biting ants to walking barefoot on hot coals - it shows how humans turn ordinary life into something awe-inspiring, how we use shared rituals to transcend our solitary selves. Xygalatas walks through fire himself, literally and intellectually, to share great wisdom about the human condition."―Nicholas A. Christakis, New York Times-bestselling author of Blueprint and Apollo's Arrow
"The great mystery of human behavior is ritual. How do we explain circumcisions, debutante balls, hazing, royal coronations, and fire-walking? Dimitris Xygalatas is a brilliant polymath and this fascinating book explores this question through a mix of scientific research, evolutionary theorizing, and deep immersion into cultures with gruesome and painful rituals. An important intellectual contribution and a true delight to read."―Paul Bloom, author of Against Empathy and The Sweet Spot
"Why do people walk on hot coals, scarify themselves, pierce their bodies with sharp objects, fast, kneel, handle poisonous snakes, endure hours of boring sermons on their days off? Armed with new tools, such as biometric sensors and hormone sampling, Xygalatas reveals the inner workings and crucial functions of ritual, which explain both its antiquity and ubiquity. Packed full of engaging case studies and experiments, this book is an entertaining and engaging introduction to the cognitive science of ritual by one of the pioneers of the field."―Edward Slingerland, author of Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization
"One of the best studies of ritual in years. In elegant, clean prose, Xygalatas draws on traditional ethnography and contemporary social science to show that rituals play a central role in the way we define who we are and in the...
"Ritual is a deep, engaging, magnificent book. Full of vivid stories about the myriad ritual behaviors of human beings - from the prayers made to countless gods to kissing dice at craps to wearing feathered gloves full of biting ants to walking barefoot on hot coals - it shows how humans turn ordinary life into something awe-inspiring, how we use shared rituals to transcend our solitary selves. Xygalatas walks through fire himself, literally and intellectually, to share great wisdom about the human condition."―Nicholas A. Christakis, New York Times-bestselling author of Blueprint and Apollo's Arrow
"The great mystery of human behavior is ritual. How do we explain circumcisions, debutante balls, hazing, royal coronations, and fire-walking? Dimitris Xygalatas is a brilliant polymath and this fascinating book explores this question through a mix of scientific research, evolutionary theorizing, and deep immersion into cultures with gruesome and painful rituals. An important intellectual contribution and a true delight to read."―Paul Bloom, author of Against Empathy and The Sweet Spot
"Why do people walk on hot coals, scarify themselves, pierce their bodies with sharp objects, fast, kneel, handle poisonous snakes, endure hours of boring sermons on their days off? Armed with new tools, such as biometric sensors and hormone sampling, Xygalatas reveals the inner workings and crucial functions of ritual, which explain both its antiquity and ubiquity. Packed full of engaging case studies and experiments, this book is an entertaining and engaging introduction to the cognitive science of ritual by one of the pioneers of the field."―Edward Slingerland, author of Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization
"One of the best studies of ritual in years. In elegant, clean prose, Xygalatas draws on traditional ethnography and contemporary social science to show that rituals play a central role in the way we define who we are and in the...
Readers Top Reviews
Eleni Greece
It is a very interesting and good written book, easy to understand even if you are not a specialist. I wish I could find more books such good as this one.
Kurt Gray
Some people put skewers through their face as part of a ritual. It's hard not to look at this behavior and wonder if those people are somehow crazy, or at least a little different than the rest of us. But this book does a wonderful job of showing something profound: not only are these people not crazy, they are doing something that helps them live a meaningful life. "Ritual" is a fantastic tour through the science of ritual--and not just the extreme ones like putting skewers through your face--but also the everyday rituals we all do. Highly recommended.
forrestG
Xygalatas is an incredible writer and amazing explainer of anthropology and his research in the field. He takes you on a journey throughout the world as he explains human rituals in different societies and communities -- from fire walkers in Spain and Greece to indigenous traditions in Australia and Mauritius. Highly recommend the book!
Limabean
IMO. Good observations. I recommend he read Rene Girard’s insight for the “why” we have these rituals.
inky pinky
A thoroughly enjoyable book. It was eye opening in revealing how deeply rituals are interwoven into our daily lives and the important benefits they provide to participants. Do not be dismissive of rituals…they confer powerful psychological and social benefits!
