Description

Book Synopsis
Bringing Ritual to Mind explores the psychological foundations of religious rituals. Religious rituals exploit either high performance frequency or extraordinary emotional stimulation (but not both) to enhance recollection. McCauley and Lawson use a wide range of evidence to argue that the explanation lies in participants' cognitive representations of ritual form.

Trade Review
'Bringing Ritual to Mind makes a substantial contribution to one corner of the cognitive field, the cognitive basis of ritual forms. The book extends and clarifies aspects of the theory of ritual competence presented in the authors' Rethinking Religion (1990).' Numen
'… a provocative and very stimulating set of ideas …'. Anthropos

Table of Contents
1. Cognitive constraints on religious ritual form: a theory of participants' competence with religious ritual systems; 2. Ritual and memory: frequency and flashbulbs; 3. Two hypotheses concerning religious ritual and emotional stimulation; 4. Assessing the two hypotheses; 5. General profiles of religious ritual systems: the emerging cognitive science of religion.

Bringing Ritual to Mind

    Product form

    A Paperback by Robert N. McCauley, E. Thomas Lawson

    £31.43

    Includes FREE delivery

    Order before 4pm today for delivery by Fri 18 Sep 2026.

    15 in stock

      Trusted by thousands of customers. See 2,385+ Customer Reviews

      View other formats and editions of Bringing Ritual to Mind by Robert N. McCauley

      Book details

      Publisher Cambridge University Press
      Published 8/15/2002 12:00:00 AM
      ISBN-13 9780521016292
      978-0521016292
      ISBN-10 0521016290
      Also in:
      Psychology Worship, rites, ceremonies and rituals

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      Bringing Ritual to Mind explores the psychological foundations of religious rituals. Religious rituals exploit either high performance frequency or extraordinary emotional stimulation (but not both) to enhance recollection. McCauley and Lawson use a wide range of evidence to argue that the explanation lies in participants' cognitive representations of ritual form.

      Trade Review
      'Bringing Ritual to Mind makes a substantial contribution to one corner of the cognitive field, the cognitive basis of ritual forms. The book extends and clarifies aspects of the theory of ritual competence presented in the authors' Rethinking Religion (1990).' Numen
      '… a provocative and very stimulating set of ideas …'. Anthropos

      Table of Contents
      1. Cognitive constraints on religious ritual form: a theory of participants' competence with religious ritual systems; 2. Ritual and memory: frequency and flashbulbs; 3. Two hypotheses concerning religious ritual and emotional stimulation; 4. Assessing the two hypotheses; 5. General profiles of religious ritual systems: the emerging cognitive science of religion.

      Recently viewed products

      © 2026 Book Curl

        • American Express
        • Apple Pay
        • Diners Club
        • Discover
        • Google Pay
        • Maestro
        • Mastercard
        • PayPal
        • Shop Pay
        • Union Pay
        • Visa

        Login

        Forgot your password?

        Don't have an account yet?
        Create account