Quantifying collective effervescence: Heart-rate dynamics at a fire-walking ritual

* Dimitris Xygalatas, Ivana Konvalinka, Joseph Bulbulia, Andreas Roepstorff
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Submitted
August 2, 2011
Accepted
August 3, 2011

Keywords: anthropology, arousal, joint action, synchrony

  Abstract: Collective rituals are ubiquitous and resilient features of all known human cultures. They are also functionally opaque, costly, and sometimes dangerous. Social scientists have speculated that collective rituals generate benefits in excess of their costs by reinforcing social bonding and group solidarity, yet quantitative evidence for these conjectures is scarce. Our recent study measured the physiological effects of a highly arousing Spanish fire-walking ritual, revealing shared patterns in heart-rate dynamics between participants and related spectators. We briefly describe our results, and consider their implications.

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Quantifying collective effervescence: Heart-rate dynamics at a fire-walking ritual
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