Ep. 5 - The Rituals That Hold Us Together (with Dimitris Xygalatas)

Why does a bedtime routine feel so important? Anthropologist Dimitris Xygalatas studies rituals, from firewalking ceremonies to family traditions. His work reveals why humans return to rituals whenever life becomes uncertain, and why parenthood may be one of the most ritual-filled experiences of all.

Shownotes: 

• Much of today's conversation draws on Dimitris Xygalatas' book The Ritual Effect: From Habit to Ritual, Harness the Surprising Power of Everyday Actions, in which he explores why rituals are a universal feature of human life and how they shape our bodies, minds and relationships.
• Dimitris also discusses the Bayesian brain, the influential theory that the brain continuously predicts what will happen next and updates those predictions when reality surprises us – a framework that helps explain why rituals can reduce uncertainty.
• Dimitris leads the Experimental Anthropology Lab at the University of Connecticut, where he studies rituals using tools from psychology, neuroscience and physiology, often in real-world settings rather than laboratory experiments.
• Many of the ideas discussed in this episode build on the work of anthropologist Bronisław Malinowski, whose observations of the Trobriand Islanders – published in Magic, Science and Religion – helped establish the idea that rituals become especially important during moments of uncertainty.
• To explore more of Dimitris' work on ritual, cooperation and human behaviour, browse his publications.
• This podcast is part of the Early Childhood Matters platform by the Van Leer Foundation.

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