Ritual - hows and whys

[Lily]

Why do we (humans, druids, religious or a-religious people*) insist on doing ritual, even as skeptics? (ignore if you don't do it, or discuss your reasons)

How does it work - for skeptics? (or in other words what can we achieve?)
Any experiences that you had a hard time explaining?

I have a few explanations or reasons... but please discuss.

mine:
humans value repetition to feel comfortable
when you feel comfortable you can access some deeper thoughts
ritual is satisfying because it strengthens the community, the group mind
working with symbolism brings out new ideas
catharsis is good for the psyche
opening, closure rituals, rites of passage are also good for psychohygiene




*even the order of things you do first thing in the morning can be a ritual

[DJ Droood]

Everything you mentioned, plus it can be fun! Costumes and little plays with scripts, a performance, music and chanting, props, maybe even pyrotechniques!

[Lily]

but then we could just have a fancy party, speeches, pyro, song&dance - but isn't it more?

[DJ Droood]

but then we could just have a fancy party, speeches, pyro, song&dance - but isn't it more?

Well yes...that PLUS your examples.

[celticvoice]

I think its because we are pattern seeking creatures by nature. When we carry out ritual we create a pattern of set steps which feels satisfying to us and help us focus. The rest follows from that.

[Explorer]

I think its because we are pattern seeking creatures by nature. When we carry out ritual we create a pattern of set steps which feels satisfying to us and help us focus. The rest follows from that.

I agree with that.

Rituals stand out, I don't remember what I had for dinner last week, but I do remember what my last ritual was about.
It is not really about the ritual itself, but about the intention one has with it, that intention sticks out also.
And by crafting a pattern of intentions that way, standing out in that ritualistic way, you can create a pretty clear path in the direction of your own choosing.

And you don't have to follow prescribed rituals, it is often more effective if you create your own rituals, with the imagery, wording and actions that really make sense to you. For me, doing (private) rituals, was the most powerful discovery in druidry. Especially if they are embedded in something bigger, like a (physical) journey, a bigger plan to change something, or just as part of a string of rituals (like the seasonal rituals).
It really helps me to create those clear paths and navigate them with confidence.

[Al Hakim]

[quote="Nico"
It really helps me to create those clear paths and navigate them with confidence.[/quote]
Hi,
I think those are the most important clues. A ritual provides personal safety and stability. Whenever you carry it out you will feel comfortable, at home. The opposite would be fear of an unknown new situation. Let's not forget that the ritual is similar to regular habits like preparing your morning coffee, eating some bread or eggs first before the jam sandwich and so forth. The ritual also allows you to tell the difference between different social groups - to define the others - which is a very important psychological factor.
Al Hakim

[treegod]

I might have a skeptical disposition but I am not 100% rational. Ritual (and art) gets in touch with those parts of me that are non-rational; instinct, intuition, imagination, emotions etc. It's about cultivating wholeness of my humanity.

[Lily]

I think its because we are pattern seeking creatures by nature.

There's a good book, "How we believe" by Michael Shermer - talks about how we are pattern-seeking animals.

[Huathe]

Ritual for me sets a pattern and brings things into the familiar.

It helps me connect with the divine.

It promotes healing and deeper thought.

It honors the sacred.

And yes, it can be fun!

[Frog]

I'd suggest an alternate reason for ritual... the fear of what happens if we DON'T.

if I don't pack my suitcase, briefcase, gym bag (or check) the night before, I'm bound to forget something.
Last night I didn't bother to check my gym bag. Today I got to the gym and realised I'd left my trainers out of the bag.

On October 31st I face North West and thank my ancestors for their help over the last year.
Year before, I forgot. The next month was just tough. I belatedly thanked them, and it eased.

December 31st I leave a silver coin out. On 1st January I turn it over before bringing it in. I was told it was for good luck with money. I have no idea what will happen if I don't do that.


This may be superstition, but then belief in ritual is (to some extent) an extension of the same. I'm happy with my little rituals and they work for me. Or at least, they seem to.

[DJ Droood]

On October 31st I face North West and thank my ancestors for their help over the last year.
Year before, I forgot. The next month was just tough. I belatedly thanked them, and it eased.

December 31st I leave a silver coin out. On 1st January I turn it over before bringing it in. I was told it was for good luck with money. I have no idea what will happen if I don't do that.


This may be superstition, but then belief in ritual is (to some extent) an extension of the same. I'm happy with my little rituals and they work for me. Or at least, they seem to.

I am much the same...call it ritual, call it obsessive -compulsive, call it superstition....but if I don't knock on wood after I say "I hope the car makes it to Montreal", I would worry...and feel somehow responsible if the car broke down (even though it was because I didn't have an oil change in over a year, it was probably because I didn't knock on wood.)

I figure the only difference between the Pope and I is I will publicly admit that many of my behaviours are ritualistic OCD and superstition...and I don't think they should be encoded in law for everyone in the world.

[Explorer]

I figure the only difference between the Pope and I is I will publicly admit that many of my behaviours are ritualistic OCD and superstition...and I don't think they should be encoded in law for everyone in the world.

I agree.
Ritual gives a focus, a way of silencing the distracting chatter in our heads for a moment, do so something more effectively. Spiritually or otherwise (like not forgetting stuff, like Frog says). And 'superstition' can give us a little bit more confidence and peace of mind, something to grasp if there isn't much else to grasp.
And the combination of the two, magic, works beautifully that way...

Until we try to prove or disprove it, solify it, turning it into law (like you say). So I usually try to leave it a bit in the realms of mystery, vagueness and the unknown. (there is so much potential in 'not knowing'!). Not very 'skeptical', I admit, but I'm usual only skeptical about people claiming facts and truths.

[Al Hakim]

A ritual is far from superstition. The ritual makes you become part of a group even if that group does only exist in your imagination. Wether or not you like it, being part of a group is essential for the human being. A group does give you strenght against "the others" and feel at home with your peers. Thus, the ritual can tell the difference between friend andd foe - from a psychological point of view only, of course. Let's pray the same, and we are the same.

Al Hakim

[Canu Taliesin]

Without an acknowledgment of sacred space there is no ritual, it's then psychodrama or personal theatre, which has clear benefits in the reduced sense as stated, but it's not ritual as nothing has been consciously evoked in a sacred manner in a defined sacred space.

[Reyna]

pyschodrama...I like-perfect explanation.

I think ritual helps get you in the right mind so you can get the results you want. You want to talk to God/Goddess? Then prayer with certain opening and closing lines helps you get in that 'groove'.

Ritual also helps bring the community together. If you all know the words/songs/actions its easier to worship and bring the energy together. You could be with complete strangers and still feel a connection because you all know the 'steps' and can 'dance' together.

[Canu Taliesin]

Yes, I think it's a way of making the body a gateway for the sacred, individually or collectively. I know this is off topic in a sceptics forum but essentially I see it as a way of moving beyong the closed locality of the self and bringing consciousness to what's beyond ourselves. We perform or enact so as to embody greater realities, and set up a form that enables us to do it safely, where we can regulate what comes through the gateway.

[wolf560]

Simply put; (for me)
Ritual defines what to do, when to do it, and (hopefully) why it is done.

"Don't forget Nothing"... Major Robert Rogers, 1751

... and for many of us that includes the soft knock on wood after making a statement such as "I know my car can make it to Saskatoon"

[Josette Tottington]

My definition of ritual is pretty broad. I think it can mean an action or set of actions in a sacred context, but it can also be something I do for personal reasons and no sacredness involved. It can be performed repeatedly, like seasonal celebrations, or just once.

For me, the defining factor is that through ritual we create meaning. We say the words and we do the things because they have symbolic value. It’s like stepping out of the mundane everyday affairs to concentrate on the really important stuff. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a believer or an atheist. Through ritual we put things in order. Like with seasonal celebrations: by designing a ritual around a certain date, we find out what this time means to us, how we relate to Nature, and how we define our own place in the grand scheme of things.

I think we have a need for ritual and meaning, otherwise we feel lost. One of these peculiar aspects of being human. I also agree that for groups, ritual gives a sense of belonging.

Thanks for the interesting thread.

Peace

[DaRC]

I think we have a need for ritual and meaning, otherwise we feel lost.

I agree and I also find that ritual provides a structural pattern that allows greater connectedness. Rituals also provide a sense of community and belonging.
Individually, I find it is the structure that links me to the natural spiral of existence, otherwise it is easy to spin off into complete chaos.
In complete chaos the important things often get forgotten.
As a (mostly) solitary that we have common rituals provides a language so that we can communicate as a widespread but common community.

However some rituals and festivals also encourage chaos (just look at Yuletime) because too much structure (or order) can mean the important things get forgotten in the minutiae of the details. To be creative often it requires change which means re-evaluating established rituals and meaning.