Introduction

Many religion scholars believe that religious rituals are a major source of the world's religions (i.e., that religion is rooted in ritual). Whether this is the case, there is little doubt that attaining a better understanding of religious rituals may give us a better understanding of religion in general. In recent years, anthropological and cognitive approaches to ritual behaviors and ritual form have registered some remarkable advances (Bloch, 1974; Humphrey & Laidlaw, 1994; Lawson & McCauley, 1990; Liénard & Boyer, 2006; McCauley & Lawson, 2002; Rappaport, 1999; Seaquist, 2006). I will try to build on these advances by systematically examining psychological and cognitive effects of ritual behavior on the individual.

To forecast my conclusions regarding the nature and functions of ritual, I find that, with respect to its effects on the individual, religious rituals often involve a reduction in agency/volition. The individual sets aside his or her own immediate intentions and instead performs actions stipulated by others – such as gods and ancestors, long ago. Religious rituals also constrain the decentering process in such a way as to facilitate selection of a new more powerful Self.