Ritual: What It Is, How It Works, and Why

Designed for both academic and lay audiences, this book identifies the characteristics of ritual and, via multiple examples, details how ritual works on the human body and brain to produce its often profound effects. These include enhancing courage, effecting healing, and generating group cohesion by enacting cultural—or individual—beliefs and values. It also shows what happens when ritual fails.

Table of Contents:
List of Illustrations Foreword Betty Sue Flowers Preface Acknowledgments Introduction: What is Ritual? Its Definition and Characteristics Chapter 1. Symbolism in Ritual Chapter 2. The Cognitive Matrix of Ritual: Belief Systems, Myths, and Paradigms Chapter 3. Belief Systems, Myths, Paradigms, Rituals, and the Process of Truing Chapter 4. Ritual Drivers: Generating and Controlling Stages of Consciousness Chapter 5. Ritual Techniques and Technologies Chapter 6. Ritual Framing, Order, and Formality: How Ritual Generates a Sense of Inevitability and Inviolability Chapter 7. Ritual as Performance: Generating Emotion, Belief, and Transformation Chapter 8. Ritual and the 4 Stages of Cognition Chapter 9. Ritual's Paradoxical Roles: Preserving the Status Quo and Effecting Social Change Chapter 10. Designing Rituals Conclusion: Ritual: What It Is, How It Works, and Why Appendix 1. How to Create and Perform an Effective Stage 4 Ritual: Things to Remember and Include Appendix 2. List of Documentary Films about Ritual References Index

About the Author :
Robbie Davis-Floyd is Adjunct Professor in the Dept. of Anthropology at Rice University, and Fellow of the Society for Applied Anthropology. She is the author of many books including Ways of Knowing about Birth: Mothers, Midwives, Medicine, and Birth Activism (2018, Waveland).

Review :
“This book provides a fascinating introduction to ritual while offering innovative heuristics (e.g., ritual drivers, entrainment, symbolic penetration) to interpret how ritual effectively works…Highly Recommended.” • Choice “This book is ultimately a fantastic resource for those who desire for an enriched, holistic understanding of ritual in society (both past and modern). Due to the book’s rich literature review and clear definition of ritual it would be ideal for any undergraduate classroom, non-academic interested in understanding ritual, and professional scholars.” • Anthropological Book Forum “One could say that this is a "ritual omnibus"—a text that takes us on a journey into the different scales and dimensions of ritual, and ultimately encourages its readers to rethink their understandings both of ritual and of society.” • Ruy Blanes, University of Gothenburg “This book is the go-to resource for anyone seeking a holistic, modern understanding of the human phenomenon of ritual. Robbie Davis-Floyd and Charles Laughlin not only assemble information and insights from a panoply of anthropologically known societies, but also enrich their discussion of ritual’s power from their own personal life experiences. The results are exciting and potentially lifechanging.” • Megan Biesele, President, Kalahari People's Fund