Ritual

:For the computer game developer, see Ritual Entertainment.

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A ritual is a formalised, predetermined set of symbolic actions generally performed in a particular environment at a regular, recurring interval. The set of actions that comprise a ritual often include, but are not limited to, such things as recitation, singing, group processions, repetitive dance, manipulation of sacred objects, etc. The general purpose of rituals is to express some fundamental truth or meaning, evoke spiritual, numinous emotional responses from participants, and/or engage a group of people in unified action to strengthen their communal bonds. The word ritual, when used as an adjective, relates to the noun 'rite', as in rite of passage.

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Rituals may express a part of a larger social doctrine, or simply of a personal one. In religion, a ritual can comprise the prescribed outward forms of performing worship, the cultus or cult of a particular observation within a religion or religious denomination.

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Although ritual is often used in context with worship performed in a church, the actual relationship between any religion's doctrine and its ritual(s) can vary considerably from religion to religion. Ritual often has a close connection with reverence, thus a ritual in many cases expresses reverence for a deity.

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Religious rituals have also included human sacrifice and other forms of ritual murder.

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In the occult, rituals are used as a process to achieve results. In Chaos magick, the theory behind ritual is that acting something out as if it were true causes the mind to believe that it is true. So belief, ritual and neuroscience are all linked.

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Symbol: A symbol, in its basic sense, is a conventional representation of a concept or quantity; i.e., an idea, object, concept, quality, etc. In more psychological and philosophical terms, all concepts are symbolic in nature and representations for these concepts are simply token artifacts that are allegor...

Singing: Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, often constrasted with speech. Air is expelled with the diaphragm as with ordinary breathing, and the pitch is altered with the vocal cords. With the lips closed, this is called humming. A piece of music that is sung is called a song; s...

Dance: Dance (from Old French dance, further history unknown) generally refers to human movement either used as a form of expression (see also body language) or presented in a social, spiritual or performance setting....

Ritual related Images and Photos (experimental)

Ritual: Feathered Shields	Native Ritual	Morning Ritual	Fantasy Figure Gallery Ritual Resin Statue
Fantasy Figure Gallery Ritual Statue	Dervishes Perform a Ritual Dance	Ritual Combats of Macho Males of the Botocudo People of Brazil	Ritual Murder Committed by the Danites Drawn by David and Engraved by A. Gusmand
Nunhltstistlahl Qagyval' a Ritual of the American Indians 1914	A Sioux Medicine Man Offers a Ritual Prayer to the Buffalo	In a Forest Near Chartres France Druids Collect Mistletoe for Ritual Purposes	Attic Red Figure Vase Depicting a Soldier Taking Part in a Divination Ritual