Ritual as the behavioral side of sanctification Paweł M. Socha Institute for the Study of Religions Jagiellonian University, Krakow   Toward a comprehensive theory of spirituality: Ritual as the behavioral side of sanctification

IMPORTANT REMARK The word „TRANSCENDENCE” may have two different applications in the theory of spirituality Firstly, it may function as the noun: Most of the times this is the case of understanding spirituality in the religious or metaphysical context – noun points to a transcendent object (God, Absolute) Secondly, it may function as the verb: This application identifies the process or behavior focused on breaking borders, limits or deficits – transcending them in a way. BOTH SPIRITUALITY AND RITUAL ARE ABOUT DOING

Ritual behavior as an element of a comprehensive theory of spirituality Among many theories of spirituality, one of the most widespread themes is the starting point defined in terms of existential struggle. From Sigmund Freud to Ernest Becker – no matter if religious or secular – worldviews deal with individual and communal dire straights. Transcending incomprehensible, mysterious and uncontrollable powers of nature, of social group, and finally, of one’s own mental processes, is the leitmotiv of human beings. Anything but perish… Being so low on the food chain makes me wonder what life is really all about…

Bernard Spilka What differs individual subjects from all other species is the existential struggle, molded by self-consciousness and a set of intellectual skills Most of the theories of religion and spirituality focus solely on cognitive aspects of such struggle. The exemplary application is the implementation of the attribution theory to the psychology of religion by Bernard Spilka and his colleagues.

Any signpost walks the way it points! Such an approach is fully justified, as long as it sufficiently reveals motivation of a person to decide, which worldview, ideology or mode of perception to choose, to get meaning. Nevertheless, when it comes to facts, ALWAYS BEHAVIOR is the proof of the validity of perceptual and intellectual comprehension. This evokes criticism to many psychological and other theories, like that of moral reasoning by Lawrence Kohlberg.

However Our cognitive capabilities are evolutionary adaptations still vital for our existence. Behavior validates the existence of these capabilities. Ritual behavior functions both as the result of cognitive processes, and as the means of triggering the process of transcendence: a cognitive shift or transformation. One of the elements of that transcendence is the process of sanctification – resulting in the rise or enhancement of feeling of sacredness. Feeling of sacredness is also the significant index of transcending limitations or borders of our existence.

In other words, ritual behavior mediates in the process of sanctification preceding the feeling of sacredness Włodzimierz Pawluczuk Annette Mahoney Kenneth Pargament SANCTIFIED, UPLIFTED, WONDERFUL , NEW VISION OF REALITY Ritual Mundane, profane, unbearable DAILY, MUNDANE MODE OF LIVING CONCEPT OF WŁODZIMIERZ PAWLUCZUK CELEBRATED – „HOLY” MODE OF LIVING Following the concept of sanctification proposed by Kenneth Pargament and Annette Mahoney, I propose to see ritual as the relevant way of sanctification

Testing the feeling of sacredness can be considered as useful for measurement of the degree of transcendence RESEARCH ON THE FREE-CHOSEN OBJECTS IMBUED WITH SACREDNESS (N = 177)

What is a sanctification? Sanctification is a process of attribution of some unusual meaning to any object – no matter if substantial or abstract, detailed or general – in order to transmit it from the mundane mode of comprehension of reality to the mode of celebration of it. For example, many young people live extremely workable life except from Saturday night, when they go crazy in a club. Their perception of reality turns to exceptional RAT RACE FOXHOLE

EXAMPLES: Religious rituals births, weddings, funerals , and other identifying or socially unifying behaviors pilgrimages and modern functions of religious shrines in the age of consumerism exorcisms and healing Secular rituals – as above, plus: fan clubs sports, even watching on TV professions

PUTTING FORWARD RITUAL BEHAVIOR MAKES POSSIBLE AN EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH ON THE PROCESS OF SPIRITUAL TRANSCENDENCE, RESULTING IN TRANSFORMATION, SANCTIFICATION, TRANSGRESSION, ETC. Proposed design for testing the influence of ritual at arriving on the transformed vision of the world or self: E PRE-TEST DRINKING GREEN TEA FOLLOWING SOME JAPANESE PRESCRIPTION POST-TEST C PRE-TEST DRINKING GREEN TEA WHILE RESTING OR WORKING POST-TEST FEELING OF SACREDNESS SELF-ESTEEM IMAGE OF THE WORLD GROUP E – PARTICIPANTS OF A RITUAL GROUP C – NOT INFORMED ON ANY POSSIBILITY OF RITUAL

CONCLUSION Ritual behavior is a powerful means of enhancing the shift from the mundane to the sanctified, marked by the feeling of sacredness As such, it must be included in any theory dealing with the existential issues, no matter if understood in terms of religion or spirituality One obvious advantage of ritual is that this is the behavioral variable, allowing for more opportunities in psychological research