Dimitris Xygalatas

That is an excellent point. In fact, some of the rituals that I've studied, they involve unbearable pain. Some of the ceremonies that are studied on the island of Mauritius, for example, they are Hindu ceremonies that involve piercing the body with hundreds of needles and even skewers and rods through the cheeks and walking barefooted on the burning asphalt under the midsummer tropical sun.

That is an excellent point. In fact, some of the rituals that I've studied, they involve unbearable pain. Some of the ceremonies that are studied on the island of Mauritius, for example, they are Hindu ceremonies that involve piercing the body with hundreds of needles and even skewers and rods through the cheeks and walking barefooted on the burning asphalt under the midsummer tropical sun.

That is an excellent point. In fact, some of the rituals that I've studied, they involve unbearable pain. Some of the ceremonies that are studied on the island of Mauritius, for example, they are Hindu ceremonies that involve piercing the body with hundreds of needles and even skewers and rods through the cheeks and walking barefooted on the burning asphalt under the midsummer tropical sun.

And all that is happening as people are carrying these very large shrines that can weigh 100 pounds. And when they reach their destination, which is six hours later, they have to climb this hill carrying these burdens up to the top of the hill where the Temple of Muruga lies. So this is really a full day of self-imposed torture.

And all that is happening as people are carrying these very large shrines that can weigh 100 pounds. And when they reach their destination, which is six hours later, they have to climb this hill carrying these burdens up to the top of the hill where the Temple of Muruga lies. So this is really a full day of self-imposed torture.

And all that is happening as people are carrying these very large shrines that can weigh 100 pounds. And when they reach their destination, which is six hours later, they have to climb this hill carrying these burdens up to the top of the hill where the Temple of Muruga lies. So this is really a full day of self-imposed torture.

And even in this context, we have done studies that show that they might offer tangible benefits to those people who do them. So in the context of these rituals, we look at people's physiological reactions. And of course, we see that during that day, they're extremely stressed, orders of magnitude more stressed than they would be in their everyday life.

And even in this context, we have done studies that show that they might offer tangible benefits to those people who do them. So in the context of these rituals, we look at people's physiological reactions. And of course, we see that during that day, they're extremely stressed, orders of magnitude more stressed than they would be in their everyday life.

And even in this context, we have done studies that show that they might offer tangible benefits to those people who do them. So in the context of these rituals, we look at people's physiological reactions. And of course, we see that during that day, they're extremely stressed, orders of magnitude more stressed than they would be in their everyday life.

And we see this in things like their electrodermal activity, so their skin conductance, which is a measure of stress. Now, when we measure the health outcomes of those rituals, we see that a month later, those who have engaged in those rituals, they have better subjective wellbeing and quality of life than those who didn't.

And we see this in things like their electrodermal activity, so their skin conductance, which is a measure of stress. Now, when we measure the health outcomes of those rituals, we see that a month later, those who have engaged in those rituals, they have better subjective wellbeing and quality of life than those who didn't.

And we see this in things like their electrodermal activity, so their skin conductance, which is a measure of stress. Now, when we measure the health outcomes of those rituals, we see that a month later, those who have engaged in those rituals, they have better subjective wellbeing and quality of life than those who didn't.

And within the group that does the ritual, we see that the more they suffer on the day, the more pronounced these effects.

And within the group that does the ritual, we see that the more they suffer on the day, the more pronounced these effects.

And within the group that does the ritual, we see that the more they suffer on the day, the more pronounced these effects.

Yes, and here's where meaning comes in. We know from psychological research that we intuitively attribute meaning to effort. So if you think of some of the moments in our lives that we consider to be the most important to us, and those are the things that fundamentally shaped us as a person. So they changed our personal autobiographical narrative.

Yes, and here's where meaning comes in. We know from psychological research that we intuitively attribute meaning to effort. So if you think of some of the moments in our lives that we consider to be the most important to us, and those are the things that fundamentally shaped us as a person. So they changed our personal autobiographical narrative.

Yes, and here's where meaning comes in. We know from psychological research that we intuitively attribute meaning to effort. So if you think of some of the moments in our lives that we consider to be the most important to us, and those are the things that fundamentally shaped us as a person. So they changed our personal autobiographical narrative.

Those moments will very often include times of suffering. the time perhaps we climbed a mountain or the time a woman might have given birth, the time we survived a car accident, even some of these traumatic moments, we come to consider them significant in our personal narrative. We attribute meaning to them. And the fact that rituals involve

Those moments will very often include times of suffering. the time perhaps we climbed a mountain or the time a woman might have given birth, the time we survived a car accident, even some of these traumatic moments, we come to consider them significant in our personal narrative. We attribute meaning to them. And the fact that rituals involve