The connection between rituals and mythologies
Examples of rituals: greeting, farewell, traditional lesson structure, applause
Rituals, that is, the order of performing certain actions established by tradition, have a very strong psychotherapeutic effect. The ignorant shamans of the barbarian tribes, the priests of the Greek temples, and the Chaldean sages were already well aware of this. To this day, the psychotherapeutic power of rituals and rituals is effectively used by followers of various esoteric teachings, healers of all stripes, magicians, sorcerers, and psychics.
A practical psychologist also cannot ignore magical properties rituals that play amazing roles on the stage of the human subconscious and, as a result, attract the attention of philosophers and psychologists. E. A. Tsvetkov, a famous psychotherapist, based on a synthesis of the achievements of European psychotherapeutic thought, Russian witchcraft and exotic eastern teachings (psychological aspects of Buddhism, Indian meditation, etc.), developed a new approach, which he called psychotherapy with sign systems, a special case of which are rituals (1995).
Tsvetkov attaches great importance to the sign, form as the root cause of a particular feeling. Sign systems (rituals, ceremonies, spells, etc.) generate powerful experiences in a person, which are enhanced by the phenomenon of induction. An altered (trance or shamanic) state of consciousness allows you to accomplish important internal work reshaping, changing mental processes, up to personality transformation. This is the secret of the healing of believers after fanatical prayers in churches or the “removal of damage” by numerous Moscow “hereditary witches.”
In order for a ritual to turn into such a “magical” sign system (capable of carrying out, if not deep personal transformation, then at least a change in certain attitudes), it must correspond to the mythology that this particular person accepts. There are probably rituals that have the power to influence all people. Jungian analytical psychologists would say that these are rituals immanent in the basic archetypes of humanity.
At the same time, the same person can skeptically observe the ritual gestures and spells of a sorcerer over a magical pentagram and grin sarcastically, but almost immediately fall into a trance from similar gestures of a hypnologist-psychotherapist. And only because in the second case the sign system of the ritual turns out to be adequate to its existing mythology, in which there is no place for the sacred sacraments of Kabbalah, but there is a place for the “scientific validity” of hypnosis.
^ Rituals and unconscious mechanisms of the psyche
Let us remind ourselves important fact, which was addressed Special attention neurolinguistic programmers: our brain perceives any information literally, giving words their direct meaning. Idiomatic expressions are unacceptable for the subconscious, or rather, acceptable only in a certain, specific sense. “The chickens don’t peck at his money” - for the subconscious, this phrase means the categorical refusal of the above-mentioned subject’s chickens to peck his coins and banknotes. A similar image can appear in a dream as a response of the subconscious to a thought that flashed in the consciousness about the wealth of a person.
A ritual is a kind of behavioral metaphor in which some objects or actions are replaced by others, i.e. act in the meaning of others.
The subconscious does not understand this and unconditionally believes in everything – as if it were happening in reality. For him, rituals are not conventional game actions, but reality. Consequently, the subconscious reacts to them as real events. This means that it has a corresponding effect on mental processes, energy and physical state body. That is why a psychotherapeutic technique works to help a child get rid of fear: when the child tears up or crosses out the drawing on which he depicted his fear, he takes actions to actually destroy this fear. negative emotion.
In general, ritual is nothing more than a form of gaming activity. By agreeing to observe a certain ritual, we simply agree to follow the clear rules of the game. If these rules are accepted at a conscious level (that is, they correspond to human mythology) and are properly understood by the subconscious (that is, their literal meaning coincides with a positive picture of future changes), then the result is a useful psychotherapeutic effect. In the language of neurolinguistic programming, performing rituals sets a certain program for the subconscious. It is in our power to make this program positive.
In psychological trainings, rituals serve as “anchors” that consolidate these positive programs and create conditions for their timely launch. The psychophysiological mechanism of the “anchor” action is based on reflex-associative connections. Let's say, at the suggestion of the leader, every moment of intense burst positive emotions The participants are recorded by performing some simple ritual, for example, victoriously throwing their hands up in the air with clenched fists under the command of the leader “Victoria!” And when this “anchor” is placed firmly enough, it can be used to attract positive emotional resources at that moment in the training when participants find themselves in a psychologically difficult, emotionally negative situation. The “anchor” can be revived by the presenter’s unexpected but familiar command – “victory!”, under which the participants throw their hands up and thereby actualize the positive potential for solving the problem.
All training facilitators are well aware that in a long-term group, rituals inevitably arise naturally and become an integral part of the group process. The facilitator can draw the attention of participants to the emerging rituals, including them in the arsenal of consciously used psychological training tools.
Some rituals (greeting, beginning and ending of classes, moments of psychological support, etc.) can be offered in the first minutes of the group’s work. Others should be introduced gradually, in the logic of the group process. Ritual actions proposed by the participants themselves acquire particular significance. Each group develops its own rituals, emphasizing its specificity.
^ Examples of rituals
Greetings. It is better if this ritual is developed by the group itself. Its options are extremely varied. For example, in the first minutes of the lesson, participants move around the room and, meeting a partner, alternately touch elbows, knees and silently smile at each other. Options for non-verbal greetings can be touching shoulders, feet - according to the same principle of “everyone - with everyone”. You can also agree on the use of verbal means, for example, participants must say a few warm words to each other without repeating themselves. new meeting: on the first day - to compliment your appearance, on the second - to emphasize the brightest advantage, on the third to praise for a specific act or act of behavior in class, and so on, on the last - to highlight what “I learned from you.” Methods of general greeting are also used: standing in a circle, participants raise their clasped hands up.
Parting. This refers not only to the ritual of finishing the group’s work, but also to the end of each lesson. A very popular general circle is in which participants stand for a minute with their eyes closed, placing their hands on the shoulders of their comrades and mentally conveying their positive emotions and emotions to the group. good wishes. Almost always this procedure is accompanied by slight rocking and a feeling of lightness and flight.
^ Traditional scheme classes . It is also a ritual that influences the participants due to its repetition. The scheme, or structure, of the lesson may be different. In our work we often adhere to the following:
Greetings.
Well-being survey (participants immediately immerse themselves in the “here and now” atmosphere, reflecting on their emotional and physical state, reporting their thoughts and expectations regarding the upcoming lesson, sometimes talking about dreams they had the day before).
Proposal by the presenter of the topic of the lesson (sometimes it can be determined not based on the preliminary plans of the presenter, but formulated as a result of requests expressed by group members during the previous step).
A parable told by the presenter (it serves as a kind of epigraph to the upcoming work and, due to its metaphorical nature, sets a certain program for the subconscious of the participants).
Warm-up exercises.
The main (working) part (in which passive exercises are interspersed with active games - both of them almost always end in discussion and reflection).
Summing up the lesson (statements by participants in a circle about their current state, comprehension of the work done, wishes and suggestions to the presenter).
Presenter's summary (if necessary). Often - in the form of a parable.
Parting.
Applause. They can also become a ritual if the group customizes them with every successful completion of an exercise, a courageous act (for example, declaring oneself as a volunteer) or a subtle and witty statement.
^ Questions and tasks for self-control
What “magical” functions of rituals should a practical psychologist know about? What is the essence of these “magic” functions?
What concepts are revealed in the following definitions:
"...... is the order of performing certain actions established by tradition."
"...... is a kind of behavioral metaphor in which some objects or actions are replaced by others, i.e. they appear in the meaning of others."
"...... is nothing more than a form of gaming activity."
What is the essence of psychotherapy with sign systems?
Paste the right word into the following statement about the connection between rituals and mythologies:
What is the peculiarity of the unconscious perception of idiomatic expressions? Can this feature be used practical psychologist?
The following statement is true or false:
“Rituals always and under all conditions perform a psychotherapeutic function.”
“If the rules of the game (ritual) are accepted at a conscious level (that is, they correspond to human mythology) and are properly understood by the subconscious (that is, their literal meaning coincides with a positive picture of future changes), then the result is a useful psychotherapeutic effect.”
“Rituals do not play the role of psychotherapeutic techniques, but only help a person to structure his life activities.”
Explain the essence of the psychophysiological mechanism of action of the “anchor” in ritual from the point of view of neurolinguistic programming.
Do rituals always arise spontaneously in a training group or can they be suggested by the facilitator?
Give examples of rituals used in psychological training.
Greetings. It is better if this ritual is developed by the group itself. Its options are extremely varied. For example, in the first minutes of the lesson, participants move around the room and, meeting a partner, alternately touch elbows, knees and silently smile at each other. Options for non-verbal greetings can be touching shoulders, feet - according to the same principle of “everyone - with everyone”. You can also agree on the use of verbal means, for example, the participants must say a few warm words to each other, without repeating themselves at a new meeting: on the first day - to compliment their appearance, on the second - to emphasize the most striking advantage, on the third - to praise for a specific act or action behavior in class and so on, and finally, highlight what “I learned from you.” Methods of general greeting are also used: standing in a circle, participants raise their clasped hands up.
Parting. This refers not only to the ritual of finishing the group’s work, but also to the end of each lesson. A very popular general circle is where participants stand for a minute with their eyes closed, placing their hands on the shoulders of their comrades and mentally conveying their positive emotions and good wishes to the group. Almost always this procedure is accompanied by slight rocking and a feeling of lightness and flight.
Traditional lesson plan. It is also a ritual that influences the participants due to its repetition. The scheme, or structure, of the lesson may be different. In our work we often adhere to the following:
1. Greeting.
2. Well-being survey (participants immediately immerse themselves in the “here and now” atmosphere, reflecting on their emotional and physical state, reporting their thoughts and expectations in relation to the upcoming lesson, sometimes talking about dreams they had the day before).
3. Suggestion by the presenter of the topic of the lesson (sometimes it can be determined not based on the preliminary plans of the presenter, but formulated as a result of requests expressed by group members during the previous step).
4. A parable told by the presenter (it serves as a kind of epigraph to the upcoming work and, due to its metaphorical nature, sets a certain program for the subconscious of the participants).
5. Warm-up exercises.
6. The main (working) part (in which passive exercises are interspersed with outdoor games - both of them almost always end in discussion and reflection).
7. Summing up the results of the lesson (statements by participants in a circle about their current state, comprehension of the work done, wishes and suggestions to the presenter).
8. Presenter's summary (if necessary). Often - in the form of a parable.
9. Farewell.
Each stage of the lesson is a ritual action in itself (with the exception of the actual working part, which always, naturally, takes up the lion's share of time).
Applause. They can also become a ritual if the group customizes them with every successful completion of an exercise, a courageous act (for example, declaring oneself as a volunteer) or a subtle and witty statement.
Questions and tasks for self-control
1. What “magical” functions of rituals should a practical psychologist know about? What is the essence of these “magic” functions?
2. What concepts are revealed in the following definitions:
a. "...... is the order of performing certain actions established by tradition."
b. "...... is a kind of behavioral metaphor in which some objects or actions are replaced by others, i.e. they appear in the meaning of others."
c. "...... is nothing more than a form of gaming activity."
3. What is the essence of psychotherapy with sign systems?
4. Insert the correct word into the following statement about the connection between rituals and mythologies:
“Ritual is then an effective psychological means when its sign system turns out to be......... the mythology that a person has.”
5. What is the peculiarity of the unconscious perception of idiomatic expressions? Can this feature be used by a practical psychologist?
6. The following statement is true or false:
1. “Rituals always and under all conditions perform a psychotherapeutic function.”
2. “If the rules of the game (ritual) are accepted at a conscious level (that is, they correspond to human mythology) and are properly understood by the subconscious (that is, their literal meaning coincides with a positive picture of future changes), then the result is a useful psychotherapeutic effect.”
3. “Rituals do not play the role of psychotherapeutic techniques, but only help a person to structure his life activities.”
7. Explain the essence of the psychophysiological mechanism of action of the “anchor” in ritual from the point of view of neurolinguistic programming.
8. Do rituals always arise spontaneously in a training group or can they be suggested by the facilitator?
9. Give examples of rituals used in psychological trainings.
Now it is impossible to imagine our life without rituals. They are an opportunity to alleviate some of our suffering in certain cases. It is the ritual nature of certain actions that subsequently leads to the development of addiction. Let's take a closer look at what rituals are and what their psychological characteristics. The very definition of ritual comes down to the fact that these are actions that are performed because they need to be done.
What could the rituals be?
Also, a set of various actions can be used as a ritual. An important factor in the formation of a ritual is that everyone does it. Naturally, you don’t want to lag behind the representatives of the social group in which this ritual is the norm. Moreover, many members of this group sometimes force a person to perform these rituals. An example of such people would be grannies in church, who even more closely than priests monitor the observance of rituals, which as a rule turn out to be simply a formality even in Orthodox circles.
Examples of rituals are:
1. Taking the oath. Very often used in the military or certain religious communities. There are also informal oaths that are not approved at the organizational level, but which must be taken to confirm one's belonging to a certain organization. social group. Very often informal rituals are used in work groups and so on.
2. Handshake. People need confirmation that you trust them and that you can be trusted. In general, the history of this ritual is quite creepy. This is how people used to shake hands to show another person that they had no poison hidden anywhere with which they could theoretically poison another person.
3. Yes, even a banal “Hello” is a ritual. It is clear that you can do without this. But such rituals are an indicator of your favor towards another person.
As a rule, rituals are somewhat similar to addiction, but have a number of differences from it. The commonality between these concepts may be that a person is afraid of the consequences that may occur if he does not perform a certain ritual. And it turns out that a large number of troubles that naturally fall on a person, the latter is inclined to attribute to unknown forces and the fact that he did not look over his shoulder three times in time.
Characteristics of rituals.
It is rituals that become the cause of a large number of superstitions and various other beliefs. Moreover, they can be justified in different ways. But the point is one thing: a person understands that if he doesn’t do something, the consequences can be truly terrible. In general, we realized that rituals are mainly based on human fears, and not on a rational explanation of things happening in the world. At the same time, the ritual can be explained by other reasons:
1. The desire for a person to be lucky in certain aspects of his life.
2. The ritual can be justified by some habit.
In general, there are quite a large number of reasons why rituals appear. We already understood this. Can there be a rational explanation for rituals? Of course yes. In certain circles, for example, religious sects, the rationalization of performing certain rituals is actively used, the habit of performing which completely chains a person to a certain religious circle.
A little about the rationalization of rituals.
Explanations can be invented for anything. For example, some people gather in groups that promote the doctrine that the earth is flat. In fact, this is not true. Nevertheless, their explanations sound completely logical. This confirms that you can come up with a theory out of thin air that a sufficiently large number of people will believe in. But the peculiarity of the explanations of the ritual is that a person can perform it not only because it is logically justified.
Rituals are characterized by the fact that they do not necessarily have any justification. They are still committed for this purpose, and not for any specific purpose. Very often, religious people struggle with sins not because it needs to be done for God, but simply for the sake of the struggle itself. From an Orthodox point of view, this is not good, since the global idea of fighting the same gluttony is forgotten. However, many people just do things.
The justification for the rituals is secondary; it is not at all necessary that it exist. Primary in in this case animal nature to some extent: fears, suggestion and other categories of thinking of such people, similar to these. Rituals can be completely different. There is a very wide variety of them. They differ not only in content, but also in character. So, rituals can be both strict and not very strict. Sometimes you have to do it, and sometimes you don’t.
Classification of rituals.
Moreover, the same ritual in different cultures may have a completely different meaning. For example, the well-known ritual of “drinking for the road” may be observed by some people from time to time, but among those who are addicted to drinking it becomes obligatory. And such parallels can be drawn with any other ritual. One thing is known for sure - all types of rituals are tied and after some time become a habit. That is why it is possible to form useful rituals.
They are characterized by something good that can help a person in his endeavors. For example, the well-known ritual of “brushing your teeth” can be beneficial to a person, since this procedure is the key to the long life of these teeth for many years. Also, rituals may differ in the degree of meaningfulness. There is no clear gradation, but they differ from “just accepted” to “there is such a deep meaning here that if you don’t take it into account, it will be very bad.”
Some rituals actually have meaning. And not deep, but real. For example, inviting people to the table is not just a rule of good manners. People may actually be hungry. Why not show them your hospitality? It won’t be taken away from you, but others will enjoy it. In some cases, people themselves can tell the real meaning of the ritual. As mentioned earlier, a large number of rituals had an original meaning.
However, over time it was erased and people acted a certain way simply because it was the way to do it. For example, people used to clink glasses to show that there was nothing poisonous in the wine. Now it’s just a ritual that has absolutely no scientific basis. At the moment it is no longer relevant, but people still continue to do it. Moreover, in addition to the procedural meaning of the ritual, there is also a symbolic one.
This is when the explanation comes not from practical benefit, but for some sacred benefit, sometimes not corresponding to any religious ideas. For example, drink to the deceased. That's what practical significance from this? Will he be happy in heaven because they drank to this dead man? Sometimes rituals have not only a sacred or procedural meaning, but also an exculpatory one. And in the case of drinking, rituals are a very clear example of a person’s desire to justify himself. For example, drinking on a holiday is also a ritual.
The main requirement that is put forward for an explanation is its logic. A person must sincerely believe in deep meaning a certain ritual. Rituals that were invented by people with authority in certain circles are especially well established. And it often happens that people perform some rituals, and then don’t even remember their author. And sometimes they never even knew. For the first time, someone came up with the idea of drinking on the road.
Morality is a set of human rituals, systematized in one way or another. For example, we no longer perceive the desire to say hello as a banal necessity, but as a sign of a polite person. The same applies to the ritual, an example of which was already given earlier - inviting guests to the table. There are also official rituals accepted in a particular institution or government structure.
According to the type of occurrence, rituals are divided into:
1. Religious. This is a standard type of ritual for many people. It is precisely without them that it is impossible to imagine a full-fledged religious life. Rituals such as attending weekly Sunday services can really have a positive impact on the human soul. And if a person does not believe in God, then he can accept this explanation: rituals instill confidence in a person, which can be obtained quite easily in church.
2. Army. Army rituals have one great purpose - discipline. It must be tough enough to be able to provide for those tasks that are necessary during a war or at least to maintain troops in a state of combat readiness. Army rituals begin with the very moment of joining the armed forces and do not stop until the very moment of demobilization.
3. Family. Each family establishes its own rituals that must be followed to ensure harmony. In some families it is drinking tea at the same time, some families preach healthy image life. The content of these rituals may differ fundamentally, but this is not so important. Informal rules in families that are not declared, but are followed, can take on a ritual character.
4. Community. Such rituals can take place in various gatherings that have the same goal. An example of such associations of people is Alcoholics or Drug Addicts Anonymous, which are built entirely on rituals. In these organizations, everything starts with the same phrases, after someone has finished speaking, there are various supporting gestures, and so on. In this case, ritualism has positive effects.
5. Group. There may be rituals here that are not previously on the list. These could be school classes, university groups, work teams, and so on. Each of these groups has its own rituals. Even bullying the lowest-ranking student can to some extent be considered a ritual, since if this is not done, then the person does not feel superior to another. And even if this is not the way to achieve the goal, the person really begins to feel better.
6. Workers. This includes those rituals that were invented by management to make the work process more productive. This includes rules within the organization, requirements, and so on. In some aspects, these rituals overlap with group rituals, especially in the part that is associated with work groups. Here they can come up with all sorts of entertainment, such as initiation rituals as colleagues, and so on.
7. Psychotherapeutic. This part overlaps a little with AA or NA, with the only exception that these organizations are self-support groups. As a rule, the leader of these groups is not a professional psychotherapist. He may have some experience in dealing with alcoholism or drug addiction, but he is not a doctor or psychologist. He is the same person as the rest of the members of this group, only he occupies a slightly different position.
As well as a number of other rituals that are considered an important component of life in a certain area. Each of these rituals is a way to secure a person within a certain group and a guarantee that he will not be rejected by it. This is why rituals become important part human socialization. Separately, one should highlight mystically based rituals, which are characterized by an explanation of the need to perform them through the prism of otherworldly forces or any other mystical creatures.
Useful and harmful rituals.
Rather, it would be more correct to say “useful, neutral and harmful rituals.” Some of them are really useful. For example, cleaning the premises every week is good, cleaning after yourself is also good. The ritual of visiting a doctor every six months for diagnostic purposes is also good ritual. If a person shakes hands, then it depends from what point of view you look at it. But for the most part it is a neutral ritual that can be followed or not.
The ritual of getting drunk on Fridays cannot be called healthy for a person. Therefore it belongs to harmful rituals. The same applies to long work, which is also an example of a negative ritual, since a person cannot constantly spend his time doing one thing. This is not only harmful to his vigor, but also to the body. Overworking is a bad ritual. Sometimes you can work a little more, but you can't make a habit out of it.
A ritual is an action precisely and strictly defined in its sequence, which has a specific goal and some “magical” background. Why do our children need rituals? Where do they come from, and should they be followed?
Children's rituals play the role of a spell and taming of reality, instilling in the child the belief that he has power over the events and phenomena of his life - similar to how our primitive ancestors believed that by dancing around the fire to the howls of shamans, they would guarantee themselves a successful hunt and beautiful weather .
According to historians, magical rituals once played a very important role in human evolution: thanks to them, people gained faith in their abilities and capabilities to curb nature during that difficult period when nature itself daily convinced them of the opposite. By resorting to the help of rituals, children become convinced that they can do more than they think, that they are able to control their environment and especially themselves - in that difficult period when parents and circumstances rule everything in a child’s life.
Psychologists say that rituals help children gain self-respect, feel self-worth and omnipotence, so it is very important that “ritual” feelings and actions are shared by people close to the child, so that mom and dad do not ridicule the child’s “ridiculous” habits, but actively participate in them .
Where do rituals come from?
The first rituals are not invented by children, but by mothers - in the process joint activities: feeding, hygiene procedures, gymnastics, games. We ourselves, finding ourselves in an unusual (or even still unfamiliar to us) “baby in the house” situation, strive to organize, streamline our life, habits and even thoughts. One way is to invent rituals. Psychologists and teachers often advise deliberately creating rituals for difficult educational situations, for example, putting a fidget to bed (washing - making the bed - reading a fairy tale - kissing goodnight - mother turning off the light and leaving the room).
Even without really realizing what is happening, the child remembers, literally “absorbs with milk” the feeling of predictability, confidence in each next action and psychological comfort. In the future, as the baby grows up, at every “difficult” stage of development, be it going to bed on his own or saying goodbye to his mother in the kindergarten locker room, he will resort to creating rituals to remind himself that he is valuable, important, and that he, and not the “grandmothers” from a bad dream or an unfamiliar teacher decides what will happen to him next.
Why does a child need rituals?
Ritual, including for children, always has a “magical” component: strict adherence to a certain sequence of actions always leads to a predictable, pre-known and even expected result.
What are the rituals?
“Classics of the genre” - reading the same fairy tale every evening, even if the child has known it by heart for a long time; falling asleep only with a pacifier or only cuddling with your favorite toy; watching the same cartoon. Many classical rituals can be “deciphered” as follows:
- repetition of a favorite fairy tale or story - the child knows in advance that everything will be fine with the hero, so he does not experience emotional stress and fear, but enjoys the hero’s success during the story. Probable Cause ritual: the child lacks positive emotions;
- reading a fairy tale with mom before going to bed - no matter what happens during the day, no matter what events or troubles happen to the baby, and no matter how he reacts, mom will still sit next to her and read. Probable reason for the ritual: the child lacks support and approval;
- saying goodbye to mom through the kindergarten window (wave a hand, send an air kiss, etc.) - mom is leaving now, but will definitely return. The probable reason for the ritual: the child is afraid to be alone or afraid that the mother will not return;
- putting things in strictly defined places or in strictly in a certain order- counteracting internal chaos, trying to organize thoughts. Probable reason for the ritual: parents expect and demand a lot from the child, setting the bar too high.
There are also less obvious examples:
- the child tries to avoid cracks on the sidewalk and not step on them;
- combs his hair endlessly, making sure not a single hair sticks out;
- washes hands too often.
Sometimes rituals cause inconvenience not only to parents, but also to the children themselves. Many of us are familiar with the situation when a baby, having lost his favorite “sleep” toy, walks around the apartment in despair, looks under the sofa for the twentieth time and refuses to lie down, and yet, having assumed a horizontal position, tosses and turns and cannot fall asleep... If the baby has “his” mug or plate from which he eats at home, away or kindergarten he may lose his appetite.
Why are rituals more important to some children than others?
The ritual reflects a child's anxiety about any changes or situations in his life. The more important rituals are to your baby, the more insecure he feels. Heredity probably plays a role (tendency to anxiety, excitability); character traits and temperament; strictness or overprotection in the family; permanent life changes or one change, but serious and very important (for example, parental divorce, death loved one or relocation).
It is very important to distinguish rituals from whims. What can help? Observation and analysis: pay attention to what provoked a violent reaction - a habitual concrete action that failed to be performed, or something “external” or abstract.
You can try to help your child get rid of rituals. For example, with a child who puts toys in a strictly defined order or insists that the spoon be 5 centimeters from the plate before eating (no more, no less), psychologists advise from time to time to play “throw things around” or “pillow fight.”
Rituals do not last forever. The more confident a child becomes, the less he needs them. In addition, even the most restless or conservative children, with age, begin to experience curiosity about the world around them, and then an exploratory excitement, a passion for everything new, which gradually displaces the need for rituals and “ritual” habits from their consciousness. However, if a difficult situation arises (attending kindergarten), or the child has a hard time experiencing some childhood shock (a brother was born), or finds himself in an unfamiliar environment (in a hospital without his mother), try suggesting that he create new ritual- its careful observance will help the child regain peace of mind and confidence in the future.
If there are too many rituals, or the child reacts too sharply to their change or interruption, then you can see a psychologist: “extreme” manifestations usually indicate that the child has problems that he cannot cope with alone.
Irina Kuzmina, psychologist, teacher, art therapist:
“Preschoolers usually require exact observance of rituals, and, more flexible version, junior schoolchildren. Rituals can be divided into two groups: those associated with the beginning of an action (waking up, going for a walk, preparing for a lesson, preparing for a meal, etc.) and those associated with the completion of an action (leaving for kindergarten, school, from the playground, from guests, going to bed, etc.). Children sometimes need rituals to get used to “routine” moments - learn to wash their hands before eating, set the table, clean up their plate after eating, or quickly and calmly fall asleep on their own. Compliance with rituals is especially useful for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
However, only “conscious” rituals that have a positive effect on the child’s development are useful. And such rituals as “let’s go home to watch cartoons”, “let’s go to class and buy some chocolate”, “dad comes home from work and will bring something”, “we walk past a store - we don’t leave without a toy”, “we don’t sleep, we don’t eat” without cartoon”, etc.-doubtful, further lead to misunderstanding by parents of their children.
One mother brought her child to me for consultation with the problem of “lack of motivation for kindergarten classes.” She was very surprised when it turned out that the child had a “shopping” ritual (after classes they bought her a Kinder), and since in preschool age the leading type of activity is a game, then the child is immersed not in the game “school”, but in the game “they will buy me a kinder”. The child knew: if the lesson passed, I would receive a “prize.” There was no motivation for the classes themselves, for gaining knowledge. When there was no success “in school”, the parents did not buy Kinders, and gradually the child stopped studying altogether. It is worth remembering that an action repeated even 2-3 times can become a “ritual” for a child - a certain model behavior."
World cults and rituals. The power and strength of the ancients Matyukhina Yulia Alekseevna
Modern rituals
Modern rituals
IN modern society There are rituals that accompany a person throughout his life. Scientists believe that the rituals of our time can be divided into 3 groups.
1. Traditional rituals and rituals that have come down to us from time immemorial.
2. Religious rituals.
3. Magic rituals accompanying the sessions of white and black magicians, as well as all kinds of healers, and folk superstitions.
The first group of rituals is the most numerous and understandable to everyone. It includes rituals known to every person, from birth to death. We got up in the morning, went to wash or turned on the kettle (computer, toaster, TV), got dressed, went outside, went to work, etc. All the things we are familiar with are everyday rituals that we perform automatically. Some of them are more significant and are associated with the ancient customs of our ancestors. We can name several of the most common “meaningful” rituals in our lives:
– swaddling a baby boy in blue blankets and diapers, and girls in pink ones;
– naming a newborn baby by name;
– annual birthday celebrations;
– celebrating all kinds of holidays;
– rituals of hospitality;
– special rules of behavior, speech, communication, clothing, which are also easily recognizable as rituals;
- weddings, funerals.
If you carefully analyze any ritual, you can quite easily find its roots in the mists of time. What we do today, without thinking at all, was most likely done by our distant ancestors, only at a different stage in the development of civilization. So, for example, we invite guests to our house not only for entertainment, but also to keep friends a good relationship, absolutely necessary for a normal life, and to avoid damage. The ritual of clinking glasses is also ancient: the pagans deliberately touched filled cups so that the ritual drink would mix and possess magical power. In the Middle Ages, due to the widespread custom of pouring poison on each other, feudal lords certainly tried to hit their glass against their opponent’s glass as hard as possible so that some of the wine would spill into his glass.
The holiday of March 8 with the veneration of women dates back not to the times of Clara Zetkin, as is commonly believed, but goes back to much more distant eras. Also in Ancient Rome in the first days of March, festivals were held with the veneration of goddesses and women in general.
Burning candles on a birthday cake is also an ancient ritual. A burning fire was considered purifying and especially beneficial on a person's birthday.
Many rituals are associated with ritual cleansing: since ancient times, it has been customary to wash before and after any significant event in order to “cleanse” oneself from everyday worries. Each nation created its own type of bathhouse, washing in which, as well as the objects accompanying this action, had great ritual significance.
From the book Book 16. Kabbalistic Forum (old edition) author Laitman Michael From the book KABBALISTIC FORUM. Book 16 (old edition). author Laitman MichaelOrders and rituals There are many different Orders in the world that use magic, which in one way or another, ideologically or ritually, is connected with Kabbalah. Do these rituals have an impact on the world? This has nothing to do with Kabbalah. It’s impossible to even imagine how many beliefs, religions,
From the book The Essence of the Science of Kabbalah. Volume 1 (continued) author Laitman Michael From the book The Essence of the Science of Kabbalah. Volume 2 author Laitman Michael6. Science of Kabbalah and modern sciences 6.1 Science Kabbalah and modern sciences. Lesson 1 6.1.1 The truth of the criterion of the value of science The value of any science in the world is determined by the value of its purpose. Therefore, there is no science that does not have a goal. All sciences in our world arose
From the book The Essence of the Science of Kabbalah. Volume 2 (original draft for sequel) author Laitman Michael6. Science of Kabbalah and modern sciences 6.1 Science of Kabbalah and modern sciences. Lesson 1 6.1.1 The truth of the criterion of the value of science The value of any science in the world is determined by the value of its purpose. Therefore, there is no science that does not have a goal. All sciences in our world arose
From the book Yoga: Immortality and Freedom by Eliade Mircea“INTERNAL” RITUALS Sacrifice was likened to tapas quite early on. The gods achieved immortality not only through sacrifice, but also through asceticism. The Rig Veda (X, 167, 1) says that Indra conquered the heavens by the power of tapas; such ideas are deeply
From the book of Inca. Life, religion, culture by Kendell AnnAgricultural rituals The chronicles describe the Inca ceremonial calendar cycle as being primarily related to agriculture, especially with the cultivation of maize, but recent research suggests that there were also ceremonies to protect
From the book Indians North America[Life, religion, culture] author White John ManchipHolidays and rituals What main holidays and rituals were celebrated and performed by the Indians as under open air, and under the shadow of their sanctuaries? First of all, these were traditional holidays associated with the most important events in the life of each member of the tribe.K
From the book Maya. Life, religion, culture by Whitlock RalphRituals Almost all Mayan ceremonies required careful preparation. These included, among other things, fasting and sexual abstinence. Innocence was highly valued and this is believed to explain the large number of children sacrificed who were considered "pure"
From the book Phoenicians [Founders of Carthage (litres)] by Harden DonaldPriests, rituals All sanctuaries and temples needed priests and other servants. The inscriptions mention both priests and priestesses and prove that at times the priesthood was the prerogative of a single family for several generations. An inscription on a stone in Carthage mentions seventeen
From the book Nostalgia for the Origins by Eliade Mircea From the book World Cults and Rituals. The power and strength of the ancients author Matyukhina Yulia AlekseevnaHunting rituals Hunting among many of the most ancient peoples of the world was the main source of food, so people treated it as a sacred act. There is not a single people of antiquity who lived in forests that did not have numerous, largely mysterious hunting
From the book History of Magic and the Occult by Seligmann KurtThieves' rituals For several centuries, thieves from many countries performed a strange ritual: they cut off a finger from a deceased person and used this finger to go to work. It was believed that if you walked around the house with a finger in your hands, everyone would fall asleep very soundly and not hear anything. Other thieves
From the book Essays on Comparative Religion by Eliade MirceaFestive rituals Scallops Every year in April the Scallop Festival is held in France. The ritual of this delicious festival is that everyone can take part in catching special shells, “san-jaks”. This is not so easy to do. Shellfish
From the author's bookDevilish rituals
From the author's book33. RITUALS OF ASCENSION Associated with all these myths and beliefs are corresponding specific rituals of “ascension” and “ascension”. The selection and consecration of the place for sacrifice represents a certain process of elevating the profane space: “Truly a priest,
