15.11.20 Ritual
NB I've also reflected on different aspects of ritual in my practice:
7.1.21 Ritual and the Wishing trees 1
8.1.21 Ritual and The Wishing trees 2
10.1.21 Amulets in my practice
7.1.21 Ritual and the Wishing trees 1
8.1.21 Ritual and The Wishing trees 2
10.1.21 Amulets in my practice
What is the place of ritual in my practice? Why use ritual? It's happening without me planning it. Why? And what am I doing that makes people think of ritual?
'Ritual, the performance of ceremonial acts prescribed by tradition or by sacerdotal decree. Ritual is a specific, observable mode of behaviour exhibited by all known societies. It is thus possible to view ritual as a way of defining or describing humans.' (Penner, 2016)
'A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed in a sequestered place and according to a set sequence' (Merriam-Webster, no date)
Rituals are an important part of being human. They can be linked to myth or religion, but can also be part of everyday life. Even things like shaking habds and saying hello can be described as rituals. They can be done alone or in groups. In certain mental health disorders, repetitive rituals can be part of the issue, but can also be an important way to manage behaviours:
'In psychology, the term ritual is sometimes used in a technical sense for a repetitive behavior systematically used by a person to neutralize or prevent anxiety; it can be a symptom of obsessive–compulsive disorder but obsessive-compulsive ritualistic behaviors are generally isolated activities.' (Wikipedia, 2020)
Anthropologist, Mary Douglas, discusses rituals of purity and impurity. She says that they 'create unity in experience.' and that they are 'positive contributions to atonement....by their means symbolic patterns are worked out and displayed. Within these patterns disparate elements are related and disparate experience is given meaning.' (Douglas, 1966, p3) and 'it is impossible to have social relations without symbolic acts.' (ibid, p78)
She says that ritual is about focussing: ' a ritual provides a frame. The marked off time or place alerts a special kind of expectancy, just as the oft repeated 'Once upon a time' creates a mood receptive to fantastic tales... the least action is capable of carrying significance. Framing and boxing limit experience, shut in the desired themes or shut out intruding ones.' (ibid, p78)
Douglas quotes British psychoanalyst, Marion Milner, who says: ' The frame marks off a different kind of reality that is within it and that which is without it; it also marks a special kind of reality in a psychoanalytical situation and in psychoanalysis it is the existence of this frame which makes possible the full development of that kind of creative illusion we call the transference. It is by means of this illusion that a better kind of adaptation to the world ultimately develops.' (in Pines, 1981). Douglas likens it to a child's toy cupboard in psychoanalysis which is always there byut closed and left behind between sessions.
I am very interested in what Milner says about the 'creative illusion' that she calls transeference... and that she attributes to it 'a better kind of adaptation to the world.' I need to find out more about this....
Douglas goes on to say that ritual is 'creative at the level of performance.... an external symbol can mysteriously help the coordination of brain and body.' (Douglas, 1966, p 78) Thinking about my performances as scene setting or frames (frame of a photograph, frame of a video) is helpful to me. That Douglas also describes ritual as performance is interesting too. She also describes how, for an actor, an appropriate prop or object can become a symbol and 'with this symbol suddenly knowledge and intention are realised.' (ibid, p79) Obviously this could also be true of the part my sculptures play in my performances.
Douglas, M (1966) Purity and Danger. An Analysis of Concepts of Pollution and Taboo. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul
Merriam Webster (no date) Ritual Available at: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ritual (Accessed: 15 November 2020)
Penner, H (2016) Ritual Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/ritual (Accessed: 11 November 2020)
Pines, M., (1981) The Frame of Reference of Group Psychotherapy, International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 31:3, 275-285, DOI: 10.1080/00207284.1981.11491707
Wikipedia (2020) Ritual Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ritual (Accessed: 11 November 2020)
'Ritual, the performance of ceremonial acts prescribed by tradition or by sacerdotal decree. Ritual is a specific, observable mode of behaviour exhibited by all known societies. It is thus possible to view ritual as a way of defining or describing humans.' (Penner, 2016)
'A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed in a sequestered place and according to a set sequence' (Merriam-Webster, no date)
Rituals are an important part of being human. They can be linked to myth or religion, but can also be part of everyday life. Even things like shaking habds and saying hello can be described as rituals. They can be done alone or in groups. In certain mental health disorders, repetitive rituals can be part of the issue, but can also be an important way to manage behaviours:
'In psychology, the term ritual is sometimes used in a technical sense for a repetitive behavior systematically used by a person to neutralize or prevent anxiety; it can be a symptom of obsessive–compulsive disorder but obsessive-compulsive ritualistic behaviors are generally isolated activities.' (Wikipedia, 2020)
Anthropologist, Mary Douglas, discusses rituals of purity and impurity. She says that they 'create unity in experience.' and that they are 'positive contributions to atonement....by their means symbolic patterns are worked out and displayed. Within these patterns disparate elements are related and disparate experience is given meaning.' (Douglas, 1966, p3) and 'it is impossible to have social relations without symbolic acts.' (ibid, p78)
She says that ritual is about focussing: ' a ritual provides a frame. The marked off time or place alerts a special kind of expectancy, just as the oft repeated 'Once upon a time' creates a mood receptive to fantastic tales... the least action is capable of carrying significance. Framing and boxing limit experience, shut in the desired themes or shut out intruding ones.' (ibid, p78)
Douglas quotes British psychoanalyst, Marion Milner, who says: ' The frame marks off a different kind of reality that is within it and that which is without it; it also marks a special kind of reality in a psychoanalytical situation and in psychoanalysis it is the existence of this frame which makes possible the full development of that kind of creative illusion we call the transference. It is by means of this illusion that a better kind of adaptation to the world ultimately develops.' (in Pines, 1981). Douglas likens it to a child's toy cupboard in psychoanalysis which is always there byut closed and left behind between sessions.
I am very interested in what Milner says about the 'creative illusion' that she calls transeference... and that she attributes to it 'a better kind of adaptation to the world.' I need to find out more about this....
Douglas goes on to say that ritual is 'creative at the level of performance.... an external symbol can mysteriously help the coordination of brain and body.' (Douglas, 1966, p 78) Thinking about my performances as scene setting or frames (frame of a photograph, frame of a video) is helpful to me. That Douglas also describes ritual as performance is interesting too. She also describes how, for an actor, an appropriate prop or object can become a symbol and 'with this symbol suddenly knowledge and intention are realised.' (ibid, p79) Obviously this could also be true of the part my sculptures play in my performances.
Douglas, M (1966) Purity and Danger. An Analysis of Concepts of Pollution and Taboo. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul
Merriam Webster (no date) Ritual Available at: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ritual (Accessed: 15 November 2020)
Penner, H (2016) Ritual Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/ritual (Accessed: 11 November 2020)
Pines, M., (1981) The Frame of Reference of Group Psychotherapy, International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 31:3, 275-285, DOI: 10.1080/00207284.1981.11491707
Wikipedia (2020) Ritual Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ritual (Accessed: 11 November 2020)