Anthropology Magazine
With forest in the background, shirtless people with "USA" painted in red on their chests wear a mix of jean and khaki bottoms. Each person holds a long bamboo stick in their left hand, balancing it on their left shoulder. The group steps forward in unison.

What Cargo Cult Rituals Reveal About Human Nature

Decoded
Multicolored kites fly in a blue sky above a green field near a body of water.

Five New Year’s Rituals of Renewal

Phenomenon
coronavirus rituals

Explaining the Emergence of Coronavirus Rituals

Crisis
In Mauritius, some devotees carry a heavy burden attached to them through hundreds of needles; others pull a chariot behind them through hooks pierced in their backs.

How Rituals of Pain Help Heal

Culture Lab

How Hearts Align in a Muslim Ritual

Field Notes
religious people moral - While religious practices might remind participants of specific moral codes, they may not influence a follower’s overall moral behavior.

Are Religious People More Moral?

Culture Lab
A man in Mauritius gets skewered through his cheeks during an ancient Hindu ceremony. The terror in his eyes will soon give way to more positive feelings. Painful rituals like piercing, flagellation, and fire-walking can release endorphins (natural opioids) in the brain and produce a state of euphoria. In a study of a ritual involving prolonged suffering, my colleagues and I showed that those who went through the most intense ordeals felt less tired and more euphoric after the event than onlookers who did not participate. These rituals can provide a sense of catharsis and redemption.

The Perennial Power of Ritual

Decoded