Latest news with #rituals
ABC News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Coming up: Geraldine Brooks — Grief, a love story - ABC Religion & Ethics
One of our most cherished authors, Geraldine Brooks, goes to Flinders Island to finally grieve the sudden death of her husband. As a convert to Judaism, she ponders how other religions use rituals to help with healing. Coming up 6:30pm Sunday 30th March on ABC TV and anytime on ABC iview. Posted 17m ago 17 minutes ago Tue 3 Jun 2025 at 12:59am
The Sun
23-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Brits' 30 most common ‘everyday habits' including writing to-do lists, morning walks and scrolling social media
Brits are embracing little tweaks to elevate their daily routines to help them break free from "autopilot". A poll of 5,000 adults found 45 per cent are making small changes to their everyday habits, such as putting music on, stretching, and taking time to properly savour a coffee break. 3 3 3 Other adjustments include adding a morning walk to the start of the day, or taking time to "review" daily targets. The shift towards more mindful living comes after 35 per cent admitted they are tired of the same mundane schedule day in, day out. With taking vitamins, watering the plants, and stretching also making the list of new ways they are living life more fully. The research was commissioned by Costa Coffee, which teamed up with psychologist Jo Hemmings to explore the power of having rituals. She said: 'Incorporating mindful rituals into your day can reset the mind, reduce stress, and improve overall wellbeing. 'Routines give us structure and stability, which are essential for our mental wellbeing — but doing the same thing every day without variation can make life feel monotonous. 'Tiny tweaks can help inject energy and intention into the everyday. 'It keeps the brain engaged rather than switching to autopilot.' Most of the nation's key daily rituals take place in the morning (44 per cent) compared to only nine per cent who indulge in the evening. And as many as 60 per cent admitted they feel 'out of sync' if they don't stick to their usual routines. While 74 per cent believe these small daily habits can have a long-term impact on someone's wellbeing. And 45 per cent reckon even the smallest disruption to their usual routine can throw off their entire day. According to the figures, 73 per cent of coffee drinkers who have daily rituals consider it an essential part of their daily schedule. And 38 per cent even believe they're more able to have deeper and more meaningful conversations over a cup of coffee. While 33 per cent usually pair theirs with breakfast, 23 per cent take the time to use it as a moment for mindfulness or relaxation. It was also found 49 per cent enjoy a quiet moment to themselves with their coffee, while 32 per cent catch up with friends over one and 30 per cent read a book or newspaper while drinking it. Gennaro Pelliccia, master of coffee at Costa Coffee, said: 'These findings show just how powerful everyday rituals can be — especially when it comes to coffee. 'For many, that daily cup isn't just a habit, it's a grounding moment of calm, connection, and reflection. 'Whether it's a quiet pause before the day begins or a conversation shared with a friend, we're proud to be part of the small moments that bring people closer to themselves and those around them.' TOP 30 WAYS BRITS ELEVATE THEIR ROUTINES The top 30 ways for Brits to elevate their routines and boost their days have been revealed. The list has a wide variety of activities, with some people preferring to take it easy while others want to kick-start their day with a to-do list. Ranked from most popular to least popular, the list includes: Listen to music Tidy the house Take vitamins Get up to date on the news Savour a coffee break Scroll through social media Spend time with pets Sit in the sun Open all the windows to let fresh air in Morning walks Read a chapter of a book Drink a pint of water Do a skincare routine Water the plants Afternoon walks Evening walks Write a daily to-do list Listen to a podcast Catch up on the previous night's messages from friends/family Do stretches Meet a friend for a coffee Send a message to family/friends wishing them a good day Call/text your mum Review goals for the day Meditate Light a candle or use essential oils Intentional screen breaks Daily affirmations Morning mindfulness Practice yoga
Gizmodo
13-05-2025
- Science
- Gizmodo
Psychedelics Allowed Ancient Peruvians to Consolidate Power, Study Says
In a new study, archaeologists uncovered 2,500-year-old psychoactive drug paraphernalia in an archaeological site in the Peruvian highlands. Ancient Peruvians likely used psychedelics during intricate and exclusive rituals, according to the study's authors. The study, published May 5 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that the ancient Chavín people, a pre-Incan society that dwelt in the Peruvian Andes, consumed tobacco and hallucinogenic plants during secretive rituals open only to an elite few. Chavín leaders may have controlled access to these trippy experiences as a way to gain prestige and influence. 'Taking psychoactives was not just about seeing visions. It was part of a tightly controlled ritual, likely reserved for a select few, reinforcing the social hierarchy,' Daniel Contreras, anthropological archaeologist at the University of Florida and co-author of the new study, said in a statement. Researchers already knew that intricate rituals were a big part of Chavín culture. To learn more about these rituals, a group of researchers from universities in the United States and in South America analyzed artifacts found at Chavín de Huántar, a UNESCO world heritage site in the Peruvian highlands. There, inside monumental stone structures, they uncovered what they suspected was ancient drug paraphernalia: hollow, cigarette-sized tubes made from bird bones. When the scientists conducted microscopic and chemical analyses of the hollow tubes, they found traces of a molecule similar to dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a powerful psychoactive compound that naturally occurs in plants that are native to Peru. DMT can cause brief, intense trips, complete with hallucinations. Researchers found these 'snuff tubes' in small private chambers, suggesting that access to the drugs was likely quite exclusive. Chavín people likely weren't using these drugs to have a good time. The scientists speculate that through these rituals, leaders established themselves as connected to the mystical and supernatural. By controlling access to these wild and powerful experiences, leaders might have been able to cement their status. So, these hallucinatory rituals might have also spurred fundamental changes in Chavín society, the study finds. The Chavín have been linked to earlier, more egalitarian societies. But the controlled access to weird, mystical experiences may help explain the transition over to the hierarchical societies that came later. 'The supernatural world isn't necessarily friendly, but it's powerful,' Contreras said. 'These rituals, often enhanced by psychoactives, were compelling, transformative experiences that reinforced belief systems and social structures.'
The Sun
12-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Inside 3,000-year-old ‘drug den' where humans used BONES to take hallucinogens in ‘terrifying' mystery ritual of visions
GAME OF BONES There may be a very surprising reason for the bizarre ritual A MYSTERIOUS ancient society was using hollowed-out bones to take drugs inside an "exclusive" psychedelics chamber. The long-abandoned drug den was where ancient Andeans would consume hallucinogens as part of strange "vision-seeing" rituals. 8 8 8 This "Chavín" society lived in the Andes two thousand years before the Inca empire. And scientists say these lesser-known people "access to altered states of consciousness" by taking psychedelics. Scientists say the drug-consuming bone tools are the earliest evidence of the use of "psychoactive plants" in the Peruvian Andes. The hollow bones were turned into ancient snuff tubes, and were found in stone chambers inside a prehistoric ritual site. It's called Chavín de Huántar, a ceremonial site high up in the mountains of Peru, at an elevation of around 10,000 feet. They would conduct "exclusive rituals" inside private chambers that could only hold a few people at a time. Researchers say this would've created an "air of mystique and control". "Taking psychoactives was not just about seeing visions," said archaeologist Daniel Contreras, who worked on the discovery. "It was part of a tightly controlled ritual, likely reserved for a select few, reinforcing the social hierarchy." These chambers were contained inside massive stone structures at the site – and were built around 3,000 years ago, before being sealed 500 years later. 'Once in a century' Pompeii discovery as ancient luxury SPA is saved from ashes with thermal baths & stunning mosaic And they would've had "profound, even terrifying" experiences after taking the drugs. "To those who inhaled, the supernatural might have felt like a force beyond comprehension," the University of Florida explained. "And that was precisely the point. "By controlling access to these altered states, Chavín's rulers established a potent ideology. 8 8 8 "And convinced their people that their leadership was intertwined with mystical power and part of the natural order." Evidence of nicotine from wild relatives of tobacco was found, as well as vilca bean residue, which is a hallucinogen related to DMT. Researchers believed that the rituals were used to reinforce the authority of leaders and create a class structure. 'The supernatural world isn't necessarily friendly, but it's powerful,' Contreras, of the University of Florida, explained. "These rituals, often enhanced by psychoactives, were compelling, transformative experiences that reinforced belief systems and social structures." Trumpets made from conch shells were also found at the site. And researchers think that the chambers were designed to "enhance" musical performances using these trumpets. "One of the ways that inequality was justified or naturalized was through ideology," Contreras said. 8 8 "Through the creation of impressive ceremonial experiences that made people believe this whole project was a good idea." science techniques to get us closer to understanding what it was like to live at this site." This research was published in the journal PNAS.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
The Oldest Evidence of Psychedelics in The Andes Predates The Inca
In the Peruvian Andes, thousands of years ago, humans were making liberal use of psychoactive drugs. We know this for a fact: For the first time, direct chemical evidence of these drugs has been found, in residual traces left on the paraphernalia used for their consumption. It's the earliest known human use of psychoactive drugs in the Andes. That use was by a culture known as the Chavín who inhabited the region during the Middle-Late Formative Period between around 1200 and 400 BCE, before the rise of the Incan Empire. What's even more interesting is that it seems to have been a pastime of only the cultural elite, since the bone tubes used to imbibe the drugs were found in private chambers that only a few people could enter at a time. "Taking psychoactives was not just about seeing visions," says anthropological archaeologist Daniel Contreras of the University of Florida. "It was part of a tightly controlled ritual, likely reserved for a select few, reinforcing the social hierarchy." Human shenanigans are not a new phenomenon. We've been tattooing ourselves, modifying our bodies, and enjoying mind- and mood-altering substances for thousands of years. Nowadays, the use of psychoactive drugs is broadly frowned upon, but in eons past, very different cultural contexts were at play. From various global archaeological sites around the world, scientists have found evidence of the use of psychoactive substances dating back thousands of years. In South America, these substances are hypothesized to have played an important role in rituals around the Middle-Late Formative Period, but evidence has been scarce. Recently, at the ancient ceremonial site of Chavín de Huántar in the Andes, archaeologists found 23 artifacts – mostly bone tubes – that have been linked to the use of psychoactive substances elsewhere in the region. Led by archaeologist John Rick of Stanford University, a team of scientists set about investigating what they were. They took samples from the 23 artifacts – 22 made of bone and one of mollusk shell – and subjected them to organic chemical residue analysis to try to identify what the substances were. On some of the artifacts were clear traces of wild tobacco (Nicotiana) and vilca (Anadenanthera colubrina var. cebil), which contains a hallucinogen related to DMT. The team also identified damage to the starch grains recovered from the interiors of the tubes that was consistent with dry heat – suggesting that the nicotine roots and vilca beans were dried, roasted, and powdered as preparation for inhalation. The context in which the tools were discovered is strongly suggestive of exclusivity, the researchers say. They were found in a rectangular chamber that was built early in the first millennium BCE, around 3,000 years ago, and was completely sealed in around 500 BCE. It remained undisturbed until recent excavations. The chamber was pretty small, and would have had restricted access. It also contained artifacts, such as ceramic vessels, that could be associated with ceremonial activity. Other, similar chambers had similar artifacts, including a chamber that also contained bone tubes. Put together, this evidence suggests that the use of psychoactive substances was an important part of ritual activity at Chavín de Huántar, and that access to the spaces wherein it was conducted was also restricted. It's a discovery that helps researchers understand how Chavín de Huántar, a large, grand monument at high altitudes over 3,000 meters (10,000 feet) came to be built, and the role it played in the transition from more egalitarian societies that existed before to the rigidly hierarchical systems that came after. "The supernatural world isn't necessarily friendly, but it's powerful. These rituals, often enhanced by psychoactives, were compelling, transformative experiences that reinforced belief systems and social structures," Contreras explains. "One of the ways that inequality was justified or naturalized was through ideology – through the creation of impressive ceremonial experiences that made people believe this whole project was a good idea." Times have changed, indeed. The research has been published in PNAS. Scientists Reveal What Happens in Your Brain When You Read 'Hugely Significant' Stone Circles in Scotland Suggest Early Human Arrival Surprisingly Advanced Ancient Spear Tip Was Not Made by Modern Humans
