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This study aims to determine the experiences of Muslim people with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) about Ramadan in Türkiye. This phenomenological study was conducted with 30 Muslim people with Type 2 DM. The data were collected by holding in-depth individual interviews with a semi-structured interview form and analyzed using Colaizzi's seven-stage analysis and the MAXQDA-20 program. As a result, three main themes with 12 categories were determined as follows: (i) "the month of Ramadan and the meaning of fasting", (ii) "the effects of fasting", and (iii) "coping with difficulties". The participants stated that the month of Ramadan is one of the pillars of Islam and that it includes worshiping, finding peace, completing oneself in the religious sense, purifying oneself from sins, resting physically and spiritually, and appreciating the meaning of hunger, thirst, and blessings. However, some people reported that there was social pressure when they did not fast. Health professionals should provide people with DM with regular and safe training specific to Ramadan, establish support groups, and cooperate with religious officials (imams) to meet their religious demands.

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Collective rituals involve the coordination of intentions and actions and have been shown to promote the alignment of emotional states and social identities. However, the mechanics of achieving group-level synchrony is yet unclear. We report the results of a naturalistic study in the context of an Islamic congregational prayer that involves synchronous movement. We used wearable devices to capture data on body posture, autonomic responses and spatial proximity to investigate how postural alignment and shared arousal intertwine during this ritual. The findings reveal a dual process at play: postural alignment appears to be more localized, with worshippers synchronizing their movements with their nearest neighbours, while physiological alignment operates on a broader scale, primarily driven by the central role of the religious leader. Our findings underscore the importance of interpersonal dynamics in collective gatherings and the role of physical co-presence in fostering connections among participants, with implications extending to our understanding of group dynamics across various social settings.This article is part of the theme issue 'Minds in movement: embodied cognition in the age of artificial intelligence'.

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Background: Male circumcision (MC) is a practice involving the surgical excision of the foreskin to expose the glans and it is often performed for religious reasons. Ritual circumcision is frequently carried out by unqualified practitioners in inadequate settings, which can also lead to the death of the individual. Case Report: A 28-day-old infant was undergoing circumcision by a man that performed the circumcision using a razor blade. During the same day, the child experienced continuous bleeding from the wound and, finally, died after about 20 hours. At autopsy, a cutaneous sharp injury was revealed with ablation of the foreskin and part of the penile body. The lesion had irregular and jagged margins, with diffuse hemorrhagic infiltration. The glans and upper fascia of the penis appeared edematous and hyperemic and there were abundant hemorrhagic infiltrations in the frenulum area. The child's death was attributed to hemorrhagic shock in a child undergoing genital mutilation surgery. The finding of a significant hemorrhagic infiltration of the frenulum region indicated that the frenular artery had been severed. Conclusions: Around 35% of ritual male circumcisions are performed clandestinely in Italy, and typically by unqualified practitioners. In such events, the forensic investigation of the injuries inflicted on the victim allows for determining whether the procedure was performed appropriately or not, to verify the existence of a causal link between the procedure itself and the death of the individual.

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In societies without writing, ethnographically known rituals have rarely been tracked back archaeologically more than a few hundred years. At the invitation of GunaiKurnai Aboriginal Elders, we undertook archaeological excavations at Cloggs Cave in the foothills of the Australian Alps. In GunaiKurnai Country, caves were not used as residential places during the early colonial period (mid-nineteenth century CE), but as secluded retreats for the performance of rituals by Aboriginal medicine men and women known as 'mulla-mullung', as documented by ethnographers. Here we report the discovery of buried 11,000- and 12,000-year-old miniature fireplaces with protruding trimmed wooden artefacts made of Casuarina wood smeared with animal or human fat, matching the configuration and contents of GunaiKurnai ritual installations described in nineteenth-century ethnography. These findings represent 500 generations of cultural transmission of an ethnographically documented ritual practice that dates back to the end of the last ice age and that contains Australia's oldest known wooden artefacts.

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Previous research suggests that sharing emotionally intense experiences with others, for example by undergoing dysphoric collective rituals together, can lead to "identity fusion," a visceral feeling of oneness that predicts group cohesion and self-sacrifice for the group. In this pre-registered research, we provide the first quantitative investigation of identity fusion following participation in a national funeral, surveying 1632 members of the British public. As predicted, individuals reporting intense sadness during Queen Elizabeth II's funeral exhibited higher levels of identity fusion and pro-group commitment, as evidenced by generosity pledges to a British Monarchist charity. Also consistent with our hypotheses, feelings of unity in grief and emotional sharedness during the event mediated the relationship between sadness intensity and pro-group commitment. These findings shed light on importance of collective rituals in fostering group cohesion, cooperation, and the dynamics of shared emotional experiences within communities.

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Tefillin are Jewish ritual artifacts consisting of leather cases, containing inscribed slips, which are affixed with leather straps to the body of the tefillin practitioner. According to current Jewish ritual law, the tefillin cases and straps are to be colored black. The present study examines seventeen ancient tefillin cases discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls in caves in the Judean Desert. All seventeen cases display grain surfaces with a very dark, nearly black appearance. We start with a hypothesis that the cases were intentionally colored black in antiquity using either a carbon-based or iron-gall-based paint or dye. The aim of this study is to test this hypothesis by subjecting these tefillin cases to a battery of examinations to assess the presence of carbon and iron used as pigments, and of organic materials which may have been used as binding agents in a paint. The tests deployed are: (1) macroscopic and microscopic analyses; (2) multispectral imaging using infrared wavelengths; (3) Raman spectroscopy; (4) Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR); and (5) scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. The results of these tests found no traces of carbon-based or iron-gall-based pigments, nor of organic compounds which may have served as binders in a paint. These results suggest that our posited hypothesis is unlikely. Instead, results of the SEM examination suggest it more likely that the black color on the surfaces of the tefillin cases is the result of natural degradation of the leather through gelatinization. The Judean Desert tefillin likely represent tefillin practices prior to when the rabbinic prescription on blackening tefillin was widely practiced. Our study suggests that the kind of non-blackened tefillin which the later rabbis rejected in their own times may well have been quite common in earlier times.

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Ancient DNA shows continuity between living and ancient Maya communities.

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The ancient city of Chichén Itzá in Yucatán, Mexico, was one of the largest and most influential Maya settlements during the Late and Terminal Classic periods (AD 600-1000) and it remains one of the most intensively studied archaeological sites in Mesoamerica1-4. However, many questions about the social and cultural use of its ceremonial spaces, as well as its population's genetic ties to other Mesoamerican groups, remain unanswered2. Here we present genome-wide data obtained from 64 subadult individuals dating to around AD 500-900 that were found in a subterranean mass burial near the Sacred Cenote (sinkhole) in the ceremonial centre of Chichén Itzá. Genetic analyses showed that all analysed individuals were male and several individuals were closely related, including two pairs of monozygotic twins. Twins feature prominently in Mayan and broader Mesoamerican mythology, where they embody qualities of duality among deities and heroes5, but until now they had not been identified in ancient Mayan mortuary contexts. Genetic comparison to present-day people in the region shows genetic continuity with the ancient inhabitants of Chichén Itzá, except at certain genetic loci related to human immunity, including the human leukocyte antigen complex, suggesting signals of adaptation due to infectious diseases introduced to the region during the colonial period.

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ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: For the first time in two decades, a comprehensive, up-to-date overview of the medicinal and ritual plants of southern Africa is presented. This data is analysed and compared with a previous survey done in 2002. STUDY AIM: The main aim is to update the checklist of medicinal and ritual plants of southern Africa and to determine the number of new records since 2002. We also provide a high-level perspective on the selection of medicinal and ritual plant species in southern Africa, a taxonomic analysis of the new checklist as well as a chronological perspective on the citation of medicinal and ritual species before and after 2002. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The most recently published medicinal and ritual plants checklist for southern Africa was reviewed and updated. A wide range of ethnobotanical literature, including books, field guides and electronic journals, was used. All calculations were done by using formulas and functions in Microsoft Excel and R Studio. RESULTS: 4120 medicinal and ritual taxa and 3784 medicinal and ritual species have been recorded. Compared with the 2002 checklist, there are 1239 new taxa (1228 new species). A strong correlation between available taxa and selected medicinal taxa exists on order level, which corresponds with the results of an analysis done in 2008. The top 10 species-rich medicinal plant families of southern Africa are Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Apocynaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Asphodelaceae, Malvaceae, Lamiaceae, Poaceae, Rutaceae and Rubiaceae. Different patterns of plant family representation can be seen across certain cultural healing systems of southern Africa. The species popularity (number of citations) of Hypoxis hemerocallidea Fisch. & C.A.Mey. Has increased substantially after 2002. Other medicinal and ritual plant species have been consistently researched, such as Artemisia afra Jacq. ex Willd., Carpobrotus edulis (L.) L.Bolus, Aloe ferox Mill., Leonotis leonurus (L.) R.Br. and Gunnera perpensa L. CONCLUSIONS: The numerous new medicinal and ritual plant records that have been reported in the last two decades provide evidence of an incompletely documented ethnobotanical heritage that urgently requires documentation. Patterns of taxonomic diversity on family level indicate distinctive differences between cultural healing systems. Signs of the adaptability and dynamics of traditional healing systems in southern Africa can be seen in the changes in the citation of species over time.

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La función del ajuar funerario para el viaje al más allá formaparte esencial de los ritos y rituales funerarios de Oaxaca.La ideología de la iglesia es que una vez que estas muerta,el alma va directa al cielo, al purgatorio o al infierno. Lospueblos indígenas de Oaxaca tienen una visión mucho máscompleja y matizada. La sombra, no el alma, sigue presente enestado liminal, observadora consciente. Hay pocos estudiossobre prácticas funerarias de rituales del ajuar funerario y lacosmovisión en regiones indígenas. El objetivo es describirprácticas funerarias en comunidades indígenas del sur deOaxaca y su sentido simbólico. Se realizaron entrevistasen profundidad con 73 personas mayores indígenas quiendescribieran los objetos enterrados, sus propósitos, el viajedurante la novena y el final, la Tierra de los Muertos. Elconocimiento de las creencias y prácticas representa unacercamiento a las estrategias cognitivas y emocionales de lascomunidades. Nos permite adentrarnos en el conocimiento yrespeto de su organización social y cosmovisión. La enseñanzay práctica no pueden ser adecuada sin una conciencia delas diversidades en las creencias sobre la muerte, el viaje almás allá y la Tierra de los Muertos.(AU)

The function of the funerary trousseau for the journey tothe afterlife is an essential part of the funerary rites andrituals of Oaxaca. The church’s ideology is that once dead,the soul goes straight to heaven, purgatory, or hell. Theindigenous peoples of Oaxaca have a much more complexand nuanced view. The shadow, not the soul, is still presentin a liminal state, a conscious observer. There are few studieson funerary practices, grave goods rituals and cosmovision in indigenous regions. The objective is to describe funeralpractices in indigenous communities in southern Oaxaca andtheir symbolic meaning. In-depth interviews were conductedwith 73 indigenous elderly people who described the buriedobjects, their purposes, the nine-day journey to the Landof the Dead. Knowledge of beliefs and practices representsan approach to the cognitive and emotional strategies ofcommunities. It allows us to delve into the knowledge andrespect of their social organization and worldview. Teachingand practice cannot be adequate without an awareness of thediversities in beliefs about death, the journey to the afterlifeand the Land of the Dead.(AU)

A função do enxoval funerário para a viagem ao além éparte essencial dos ritos e rituais funerários de Oaxaca. Aideologia da igreja é que, uma vez morto, sua alma vai diretopara o céu, purgatório ou inferno. Os povos indígenas deOaxaca têm uma visão muito mais complexa e matizada.A sombra, não a alma, ainda está presente em um estadoliminar, um observador consciente. Existem poucos estudossobre práticas funerárias, rituais funerários e visão de mundoem regiões indígenas. O objetivo é descrever as práticasfunerárias em comunidades indígenas do sul de Oaxaca eseu significado simbólico. Foram realizadas entrevistas emprofundidade com 73 idosos indígenas que descreveram osobjetos enterrados, suas finalidades, a jornada durante a nonae a última, a Terra dos Mortos. O conhecimento de crenças epráticas representa uma aproximação às estratégias cognitivase emocionais das comunidades. Permite-nos aprofundar noconhecimento e respeito de sua organização social e visãode mundo. O ensino e a prática não podem ser adequadossem a consciência das diversidades de crenças sobre a morte,a jornada para a vida após a morte e a Terra dos Mortos.(AU)

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For millennia, healing and psychoactive plants have been part of the medicinal and ceremonial fabric of elaborate rituals and everyday religious practices throughout Mesoamerica. Despite the essential nature of these ritual practices to the societal framework of past cultures, a clear understanding of the ceremonial life of the ancient Maya remains stubbornly elusive. Here we record the discovery of a special ritual deposit, likely wrapped in a bundle, located beneath the end field of a Late Preclassic ballcourt in the Helena complex of the Maya city of Yaxnohcah. This discovery was made possible by the application of environmental DNA technology. Plants identified through this analytical process included Ipomoea corymbosa (xtabentun in Mayan), Capsicum sp. (chili pepper or ic in Mayan), Hampea trilobata (jool), and Oxandra lanceolata (chilcahuite). All four plants have recognized medicinal properties. Two of the plants, jool and chilcahuite, are involved in artifact manufacture that have ceremonial connections while chili peppers and xtabentun have been associated with divination rituals. Xtabentun (known to the Aztecs as ololiuhqui) produces highly efficacious hallucinogenic compounds and is reported here from Maya archaeological contexts for the first time.

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BACKGROUND: Organized sexualized and ritual abuse (ORA), a contentious issue since the 1980s, remains a polarizing topic. Although there is much debate about the existence of this phenomenon, a differentiated perspective is lacking, and no representative study has yet addressed the frequency. OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to investigate the frequency of ORA in Germany using two representative datasets. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Data were collected from representative samples of the German population (N = 2522, N = 2515). Participants aged 16 to 96 years (50 and 53 % female) were recruited. They were selected by a random route procedure and asked to fill out a paper-pencil-questionnaire. METHODS: The four aspects of ORA (severe sexual violence, perpetrator networks, commercial exploitation, ideology) were assessed based on the definition provided by an expert group. Additionally, in the second survey, a direct yes/no question about the experience of ORA as well as details on perpetrators and offense characteristics were surveyed. RESULTS: Frequency of ORA was low. The direct question on ORA was affirmed by 0.5 % (n = 13), while according to the criteria of the definition, only 0.2 % or less of individuals experienced organized sexualized abuse, and <0.1 % experienced ritual abuse. CONCLUSION: Although ORA is discussed thoroughly, frequencies in the German population are low. This may be due to inconsistent terminology and operationalization of definitions with lack of precision. However, an intersection of conspiracy beliefs and the topic of ritual violence sheds another light on this issue that should receive more attention.

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In the Rhône Valley's Middle Neolithic gathering site of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux (France), the positioning of two females within a structure aligned with the solstices is atypical. Their placement (back and prone) under the overhang of a silo in front of a third in a central position suggests a ritualized form of homicidal ligature strangulation. The first occurrence dates back to the Mesolithic, and it is from the Early Neolithic of Central Europe that the practice expands, becoming a sacrificial rite associated with an agricultural context in the Middle Neolithic. Examining 20 cases from 14 sites spanning nearly two millennia from Eastern Europe to Catalonia reveals the evolution of this ritual murder practice.

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BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Pilates is a commonly recommended exercise modality for the management of persistent low back pain. Whilst guidelines recommend the use of exercise for low back pain, research suggests that no one exercise is superior, creating a question over the mechanism of effect. The patient-practitioner relationship may be important in managing low back pain; however, the relationship between Pilates teachers and clients is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to identify the components of the relationship between Pilates teachers and clients with persistent low back pain, explore key influences on the relationship, and ascertain the nature of the relationship. METHOD: We conducted a qualitative, ethnographically-informed study at eight sites in the South of England, observing 24 Pilates sessions and interviewing 9 Pilates teachers and 10 clients with persistent low back pain. Fieldnotes and interview transcripts were analysed thematically. RESULTS: The findings demonstrate a complex, multi-faceted interaction that occurs during Pilates sessions, grounded within certain health perceptions, and predicated on expectations of individuality, choice and expertise. A key finding reveals the perceived importance of mastery of prescribed movements with control and precision, in which clients particularly value the authority of the teacher in a directive learning environment. CONCLUSION: We contend that the role of the Pilates teacher in this study facilitated the alleviation of clients' distress through the application of ritual-like Pilates activity. We conclude that the relationship between Pilates teachers and clients with persistent low back pain may be considered a therapeutic relationship.

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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Rituals are common among healthy individuals and across cultures and often serve adaptive purposes. In individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), rituals become compulsive, time-consuming and distressing, and may lead to functional impairment. Previous research has examined the functions and characteristics of compulsive rituals, but there is paucity of in-depth, first-person reports about this topic. METHOD: We used a qualitative approach to explore thoughts, feelings, and behavioral patterns that characterize OCD rituals. Ten individuals with OCD participated in a semi-structured interview that focused on their most prominent compulsive ritual. The interviews were subjected to a thematic analysis. RESULTS: Eight themes emerged from the analysis and were organized in two main categories: Micro Level perspective, comprising triggers, attention, emotional changes, and stopping criteria; and Macro Level perspective, comprising feelings and perceptions, change over time, motives, and inhibitors. The findings shed light on the role of fixed rules and feelings of "completeness" in OCD rituals, the nature of emotional and attentional characteristics during rituals performance, and the evolution of compulsive rituals over time. LIMITATIONS: This study used a qualitative approach based on a small number of participants, which limits the generalizability of the findings. CONCLUSION: Our results, if replicated, may have clinical implications. The reported patterns of anxiety reduction during ritual performance may contribute to the fine-tuning of CBT for OCD. The findings concerning the nature of attention during ritual performance and the development of rituals over time may be important for understanding the mechanisms that maintain compulsive rituals.

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Superstitious rituals are common in sports and can play a role in athletes' optimism, sense of control, and confidence in performance. Superstitious rituals have characteristics rooted in tradition and need for perfection. While superstitious rituals vary in type of activity, it is necessary to consider their impact on players and the team, and to guide athletes into positive forms of expression to optimize their performance and overall well-being when engaged in their athletic activities. This paper explores the potential benefits and challenges of superstitious rituals, and the ways in which positive alternative pathways can contribute to peak performance in athletes.

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Identity fusion is a visceral feeling of oneness with a group, known to strongly motivate extreme pro-group behaviour. However, the evidence on its causes is currently limited, primarily due to the prevalence of cross-sectional research. To address this gap, this study analysed the evolution of fusion in response to a massive collective ritual, Korrika-a race in support of the Basque language-, over three time periods: before (n = 748) and immediately following participation (n = 402), and 7 weeks thereafter (n = 273). Furthermore, we explored the potential mediating roles of two key factors: perceived emotional synchrony, a sense of emotional unity among participants that emerges during collective rituals, and kama muta (moved by love), an unexplored emotion in relation to fusion, which arises from feelings of shared essence. The proportion of fused participants increased significantly after participation and remained stable for at least 7 weeks. Perceived emotional synchrony and kama muta apparently explained the effect of participants' behavioural involvement in the ritual on subsequent fusion, but only among those who were not previously fused with Korrika participants. We conclude that emotional processes during collective rituals play a fundamental role in the construction of identity fusion.

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