Paweł M. SochaInstitute for the Study of ReligionsJagiellonian University, Krakow  

R i t u a l a s t h e b e h a v i o r a l s i d e o f s a n c t i fi c a t i o n

T o w a r d a c o m p r e h e n s i v e t h e o r y o f s p i r i t u a l i t y :

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.

IMPORTANT REMARK

The word „TRANSCENDENCE” may have two different applications in the theory of spirituality

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…

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.

Bernard Spilka

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.

Any signpost walks the way it points!

HoweverOur cognitive capabilities are evolutionary

adaptations still vital for our existence.Behavior witness 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

Following the concept of sanctificationproposed by Kenneth Pargament and

Annette Mahoney,I propose to see ritual as the relevant

way of sanctification

Mundane, profane, unbearable

Ritual SANCTIFIED, UPLIFTED,

WONDERFUL , NEWVISION OF REALITYDAILY, MUNDANE MODE

OF LIVINGCELEBRATED – „HOLY”

MODE OF LIVINGCONCEPT OF

WŁODZIMIERZ PAWLUCZUK

Włodzimierz Pawluczuk Kenneth PargamentAnnette Mahoney

Testing the feeling of sacredness can be considered as useful for measurement of the degree of transcendence

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

LOVEFAMILY POPE [JP2]

CHU

RCH

FRIE

ND

SHIP

GO

D

CHIL

D

MO

RALIT

Y

FAIT

H

ICO

N

WEIGHTED POSITIONSOF THE FIRST 10 OBJECTS OF SACREDNESS

MEASURED BY THE FEELING OF SACREDNESS TEST

Object of sanctification

Weighted index of sacredness

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 BEHAVIORMAKES 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 arrivingon the transformed vision of the world or self:

GROUP E – PARTICIPANTS OF A RITUAL GROUP C – NOT INFORMED ON ANY POSSIBILITY OF RITUAL

E

C

PRE-TEST

PRE-TEST

POST-TEST

POST-TEST

DRINKING GREEN TEAFOLLOWING SOME JAPANESE PRESCRIPTION

DRINKING GREEN TEA WHILE RESTING OR WORKING

FEELING OF SACREDNESS

SELF-ESTEEM

IMAGE OF THE WORLD

CONCLUSIONRitual behavior is a powerful means of enhancing the shift

from the mundane to the sanctified,

marked by the feeling of sacrednessAs 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