XYGALATAS, DIMITRIS. 2022, Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living, London: Profile Books, 312 pp., ISBN 978-1-78816-102-2       

Dimitris Xygalatas’ book Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living delves into the profound significance of rituals across diverse cultures, exploring their role in shaping human behaviour, fostering group cohesion, and influencing social dynamics. Xygalatas uncovers various functions of rituals, their evolutionary origins, and how they can affect our well-being in various contexts, from extreme rituals in village settings to elite sports and workplace practices. The themes of collective effervescence, the bonding effects of rituals, and their potential positive impact on mental health and group dynamics are central to Xygalatas’ research and the ideas presented in the book. He draws connections between seemingly diverse rituals, ranging from extreme events like fire-walking to more common experiences like workplace activities and communal feasts. Employing an interdisciplinary approach that melds anthropology, psychology, neuroscience, and sociology, Xygalatas offers insights into the complex nature of rituals and their intricate effects on individuals and societies.

Having observed mesmerising Candomble rituals in northeast Brazil, documented intense Shia ceremonies in India, learnt the exciting music and movement of combat-dancing rituals in Indonesia, walked 380kms on pilgrimage in the North of Spain, and participated in a firewalking ceremony in the Philippines, I was keen to read this book to learn more about ritual in human societies. As I plunged into Xygalatas’ book, I was excited to learn that much of what anthropologists observe in their fieldwork and much of what people participating in ritual report is being consolidated with experimental studies. Learning how ritual can improve psychological health is both reassuring and affirming. This book not only affirms the value of ritual as an area of academic study and research but also explores how it can profoundly impact our psychological well-being. In Ritual, Xygalatas offers an accessible and engaging exploration of this essential aspect of human cultural life, inviting his reader to contemplate rituals more deeply and rigorously.

Xylagatas’ expertise, and consequently the book’s primary focus, revolves around extreme rituals, those perched at the zenith of the spectrum of emotional stress, physical pain, or energy expenditure (p. 12). The front cover, featuring what appears to be a photo of a tea ritual, depicts ritual practices at the other end of the spectrum. In another edition of the book, sky lanterns grace the cover, evoking feelings of calmness and serenity. Although the book does not extensively discuss every day or less extreme rituals, it effectively stirs curiosity about more familiar, common, and widespread rituals that often blur the fine line between ritual and habit. Will most readers view ritual as something exotic, something done by others but not by ‘us’? After all, how do the body modification rituals of the Global South differ fundamentally from extreme practices like plastic surgery, labiaplasty, or even gruelling gym routines? While the differences might seem apparent, the underlying similarities are, perhaps, even more intriguing to consider. Xylagatas boldly posits that rituals are “truly universal human behaviours,” a premise that invites readers to explore the profound connections that bind us across