Dimitris Xygalatas

And people consider these rituals very, very important in their lives. And yet, when I ask them why they perform these rituals, and I've asked hundreds, if not thousands of people that question, they have a very hard time explaining why they're important. Most of the time, they'll just look at me and they'll go, what do you mean? These are our traditions. That's what we do. That's who we are.

As far as we know, there is no culture, whether past or present, that has no rituals. In fact, when we look at our own cultures, we will see that the most important moments of our lives, whether these are personal moments, like birthdays and weddings, or collective moments, like presidential inaugurations. All of these moments are shrouded in ritual.

As far as we know, there is no culture, whether past or present, that has no rituals. In fact, when we look at our own cultures, we will see that the most important moments of our lives, whether these are personal moments, like birthdays and weddings, or collective moments, like presidential inaugurations. All of these moments are shrouded in ritual.

As far as we know, there is no culture, whether past or present, that has no rituals. In fact, when we look at our own cultures, we will see that the most important moments of our lives, whether these are personal moments, like birthdays and weddings, or collective moments, like presidential inaugurations. All of these moments are shrouded in ritual.

This is the big question that my research has been asking. Now, anthropologists have long pointed out that rituals... although they have no practical impact on the world, that is not to say that they have no impact at all. So they've pointed out that rituals can have important psychological and social effects. But these theories remained untested for a very long time.

This is the big question that my research has been asking. Now, anthropologists have long pointed out that rituals... although they have no practical impact on the world, that is not to say that they have no impact at all. So they've pointed out that rituals can have important psychological and social effects. But these theories remained untested for a very long time.

This is the big question that my research has been asking. Now, anthropologists have long pointed out that rituals... although they have no practical impact on the world, that is not to say that they have no impact at all. So they've pointed out that rituals can have important psychological and social effects. But these theories remained untested for a very long time.

And it's only in recent years that we were able to put them to the test and bring scientific measurements into anthropological research in order to be able to understand what these rituals actually do for us. And what we're finding out is that they can play very important functions for us.

And it's only in recent years that we were able to put them to the test and bring scientific measurements into anthropological research in order to be able to understand what these rituals actually do for us. And what we're finding out is that they can play very important functions for us.

And it's only in recent years that we were able to put them to the test and bring scientific measurements into anthropological research in order to be able to understand what these rituals actually do for us. And what we're finding out is that they can play very important functions for us.

They help us find comfort, help us find connection and meaning in life, and they help shape our sense of who we are as a person and as a member of the various groups that we belong to.

They help us find comfort, help us find connection and meaning in life, and they help shape our sense of who we are as a person and as a member of the various groups that we belong to.

They help us find comfort, help us find connection and meaning in life, and they help shape our sense of who we are as a person and as a member of the various groups that we belong to.

True. But even those actions that seem utterly pointless... we are finding that they might have important functions as well, important psychological functions. For example, you mentioned good luck rituals.

True. But even those actions that seem utterly pointless... we are finding that they might have important functions as well, important psychological functions. For example, you mentioned good luck rituals.

True. But even those actions that seem utterly pointless... we are finding that they might have important functions as well, important psychological functions. For example, you mentioned good luck rituals.

We're finding that if you were to search for places or situations in which individual ritualization takes place, things like superstitions, for example, the best place to look for that would be things like a casino or a sports stadium or perhaps a hospital or war zones.

We're finding that if you were to search for places or situations in which individual ritualization takes place, things like superstitions, for example, the best place to look for that would be things like a casino or a sports stadium or perhaps a hospital or war zones.

We're finding that if you were to search for places or situations in which individual ritualization takes place, things like superstitions, for example, the best place to look for that would be things like a casino or a sports stadium or perhaps a hospital or war zones.

all of these situations that's where we see that people spontaneously engage in all of those ritualized actions and what all of these situations have in common is that they involve a lot of uncertainty and a lot of anxiety so anthropologists have theorized a long time ago that perhaps engaging in rituals is an attempt to overcome this anxiety now how exactly this works we didn't know recent research provides evidence about how this exactly might work