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

Dimitris Xygalatas; Ivana Konvalinka; Andreas Roepstorff; Joseph Bulbulia

doi:10.4161/cib.17609

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

Dimitris Xygalatas, Ivana Konvalinka, Andreas Roepstorff, Joseph Bulbulia

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

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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.

Original language	English
Journal	Communicative & Integrative Biology
Volume	4
Issue	6
Pages (from-to)	735-8
Number of pages	4
ISSN	1942-0889
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.4161/cib.17609
Publication status	Published - 2011

Keywords

joint action, arousal, synchrony, anthropology

Access to Document

10.4161/cib.17609

Communicative Integrative Biology 2011 XygalatasSubmitted manuscript, 879 KB

http://www.landesbioscience.com/journals/27/article/17609/

Techne: Technologies of the Mind
Steenberg, M. (Participant), Roepstorff, A. (Project manager), Højbjerg, C. K. (Participant), Beek, M. V. (Participant), Johannsen, N. N. (Participant) & Xygalatas, D. (Participant)
Velux Foundation
01/01/2011 → 29/10/2015
Project: Research

the Daily Planet show
Xygalatas, D.
13/09/2011
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Press / Media

Cite this

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Quantifying collective effervescence: Heart-rate dynamics at a fire-walking ritual. / Xygalatas, Dimitris; Konvalinka, Ivana; Roepstorff, Andreas et al.
In: Communicative & Integrative Biology, Vol. 4, No. 6, 2011, p. 735-8.

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

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AU - Roepstorff, Andreas

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PY - 2011

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

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Keywords

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Techne: Technologies of the Mind

Press/Media

the Daily Planet show

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