From eating breakfast to gaming, rituals are an inextricable part of life. They also tell us hidden truths about 'being' and living, some of which are hard to accept.
I'm a big fan of rituals as well so this essay resonates very well with me. I was thinking rituals have one crucial aspect that makes them different from habits and simply routines – it's awareness. We do them consciously, not automatically like habits. Rituals are a way to slow down and, as you brilliantly pointed, appreciate the transcendent qualities. The perception during a ritual is taken away from the automation and every time the ritual is unique and unfolds from a new unexpected angle adding new details. So my belief is we should build rituals, not habits. Or at least treat our habits as rituals, both on an individual and social levels.
Hi John. Thanks very much for the illuminating insight. I totally agree about automation. It has somewhat taken us way from appreciating the various nuanced textures of life. There is definitely an argument about observing life from a ritualistic point of view. I guess that is where guides such as mindfulness meditation come in.
Have you read Nora Bateson? I think you might enjoy her work. She doesn't mention rituals as such but she explores how everyday practices interconnect with seemingly mundane entities in life. She states that once we've explored these embedded connections, we get a richer understanding (transcendent view) of life. I'm keen to explore this further as well.
I'm a big fan of rituals as well so this essay resonates very well with me. I was thinking rituals have one crucial aspect that makes them different from habits and simply routines – it's awareness. We do them consciously, not automatically like habits. Rituals are a way to slow down and, as you brilliantly pointed, appreciate the transcendent qualities. The perception during a ritual is taken away from the automation and every time the ritual is unique and unfolds from a new unexpected angle adding new details. So my belief is we should build rituals, not habits. Or at least treat our habits as rituals, both on an individual and social levels.
Beams of appreciation,
John
Hi John. Thanks very much for the illuminating insight. I totally agree about automation. It has somewhat taken us way from appreciating the various nuanced textures of life. There is definitely an argument about observing life from a ritualistic point of view. I guess that is where guides such as mindfulness meditation come in.
Have you read Nora Bateson? I think you might enjoy her work. She doesn't mention rituals as such but she explores how everyday practices interconnect with seemingly mundane entities in life. She states that once we've explored these embedded connections, we get a richer understanding (transcendent view) of life. I'm keen to explore this further as well.
Thanks again for responding!
No, I haven't read her! Thanks for recommendation, I'll take a look
Thanks for this yet again, an insightful and eyeopener read about ritualistic habits in life. A very interesting read.