Effects of Extreme Ritual Practices on Psychophysiological Well-Being

Bibliographic Data

ID2227149
AuthorsDimitris Xygalatas (0000-0003-1561-9327, Masaryk University, corresponding author), Sammyh S Khan (0000-0001-7048-9786, Masaryk University, corresponding author), Sammyh Khan, Martin Lang (0000-0002-2231-1059, Masaryk University, corresponding author), Radek Kundt (0000-0002-3131-4964, Masaryk University, corresponding author), Eva Kundtová-Klocová (Masaryk University, corresponding author), Jan Krátký (0000-0002-6581-4537, Masaryk University, corresponding author), John H Shaver (0000-0002-9522-4765, Masaryk University, corresponding author), John Shaver
Year2019
Volume60
Issue5
Pages699-707
Publication date2019-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueCurrent Anthropology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0011-3204 • E-ISSN: 1537-5382
PublisherUniversity of Chicago Press (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1086/705665
OpenAlexW2970430724
LanguageEN
Citations received28
References cited51

Extreme ritual practices involving pain and suffering pose significant risks such as injury, trauma, or infection. Nonetheless, they are performed by millions of people around the world and are often culturally prescribed remedies for a variety of maladies, and especially those related to mental health. What is the actual impact of these practices on health? Combining ethnographic observations and psychophysiological monitoring, we investigated outcomes of participation in one of the world's most extreme rituals, involving bodily mutilation and prolonged suffering. Performance of this physically demanding ordeal had no detrimental effects on physiological health and was associated with subjective health improvements, and these improvements were greater for those who engaged in more intense forms of participation. Moreover, individuals who experienced health problems and/or were of low socioeconomic status sought more painful levels of engagement. We suggest two potential mechanisms for these effects: a bottom-up process triggered by neurological responses to pain and a top-down process related to increased social support and self-enhancement. These mechanisms may buffer stress-induced pressures and positively affect quality of life. Our results stress the importance of traditional cultural practices for coping with adversity, especially in contexts where psychiatric or other medical interventions are not widely available

Affect (linguistics · Coping (psychology · Environmental health · Mental health · Population · Psychiatry · Psychological intervention · Socioeconomic status · Trial by ordeal · Clinical Psychology · Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion · Dietary Effects on Health · Medicine · Psychology · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology

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