MARKING Meaning with Ritual with Amy Davis Abdallah (ep. 46)

2023-10-24

On this episode of the podcast, I talk with Dr. Amy Davis Abdallah about her new book, Meaning in the Moment: How Rituals Help Us Move Through Joy, Pain, and Everything in Between. It’s a conversation about the power of ritual and how rituals help us find meaning and direction as we face endings, middles, and new beginnings. Among the topics we discuss: Why some people fear and might be suspicious of "ritual" How we already ritualize (though we may not call it that) Fascinating psychological research on...

On this episode of the podcast, I talk with Dr. Amy Davis Abdallah about her new book, Meaning in the Moment: How Rituals Help Us Move Through Joy, Pain, and Everything in Between. It’s a conversation about the power of ritual and how rituals help us find meaning and direction as we face endings, middles, and new beginnings. Among the topics we discuss:

Why some people fear and might be suspicious of "ritual"
How we already ritualize (though we may not call it that)
Fascinating psychological research on the power of rituals, and how even calling something a ritual may increase its potency.
How our rituals may go wrong and become "empty"
What sorts of things we should ritualize, and what it means to create powerful rituals.

Dr. Abdallah shares a powerful story about living in NY during 9/11, and the role rituals played in the aftermath. She also takes time to lead us in an exercise at the end.

Get the book: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/516480

Follow Dr. Abdallah: https://www.amydavisa.com/

Included music on this episode is "HereNow" from the Ruralists album "Trying." Find lyrics and more here: https://www.fullyruralized.com/

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