Through immigration, international travel, and globalization, spiritual journeys can take people down paths that were not available to previous generations. Today, people are exposed to many different religious practices, spiritual practices, and rituals that they may never have seen before. These practices often have specific meaning.
How does a spiritual practice differ from a ritual? While there is no one correct answer to the question, “What is a spiritual practice?” Scott (2001) provides the following perspective, demonstrating that most people view spiritual acts as part of everyday life:
- 91% of people see praying as a spiritual practice.
- 81% view attending worship services as a spiritual practice.
- 80% believe that parenting is a spiritual practice.
- 67% consider a walk in the forest to be a divine spiritual practice.
- 52% of adults affirm that making love is a spiritual practice.
Rituals, on the other hand, are practices that are often repeated and can provide a way for people to make life experiences meaningful. For example, rituals such as prayer and meditation may help individuals reconnect with their spirituality and thus support their spiritual health (Carrico, 2017; Burkhardt & Nagai-Jacobson, 2016; Taylor, 2002).
According to Burkhardt & Nagai-Jacobson (2016) and Taylor (2002):
- A ritual is an enactment of cultural beliefs and values.
- Rituals involve repetition and patterns of form and behaviors that have personal, healing value.
- Rituals are significant aspects of many religious traditions and cultures.
- Rituals are spiritual acts.
- Rituals can be any activities done with awareness.
- Rituals allow people to honor and celebrate life.
- Rituals are sacred spaces of the mind that honor the core of human experience and the power of the Invisible Force.
- Rituals can be rites of separation.
- Rituals are a rich resource in caring for the spirit.
- Rituals contain steps for recovery and reducing anxiety, fear, and feelings of helplessness.
Rituals help awaken the spiritual self and help individuals connect with their inner core, other people, nature, and everything in the world. Rituals help people to remember, to honor, and to change, and they can involve actions, symbols, and ceremonies. Rituals are a part of historical, religious, spiritual, and cultural traditions.
Traditional rituals are handed down from one generation to another, while self-generated rituals are begun by an individual or group and have no cultural history or tradition. The basic elements of rituals include actions, meaningful patterns, intention, awareness, and purpose.
Rituals can be sacred or secular and serve as reminders to allow sacred time and space in our lives (Burkhardt & Nagai-Jacobson, 2016).
- Examples of sacred rituals might include saying grace at mealtime, religious worship, and spiritual ceremony within any tradition, prayer, and meditation.
- Examples of secular rituals might include parades, family picnics, kissing under the mistletoe, or taking a daily walk for the purpose of exercise.
Almost every civilization engages in transitional rituals, from the change of seasons to life passages such as birth, marriage, and death (Biziou, 2006).
The following sections will look at how rituals are created, then at the specific types of rituals and why they work as a healing force.