Dimitris Xygalatas Ph.D.

About

Dimitris Xygalatas, Ph.D., is an anthropologist and cognitive scientist who runs the Experimental Anthropology Lab at the University of Connecticut. He uses a combination of ethnographic and experimental methods to study some of the ways in which human beings around the world find meaning and connection in cultural practices. His work has been published in over 100 articles across various disciplines and has featured in The New York Times, the Guardian, National Geographic, PBS, the History Channel, and other outlets. His latest book, Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living (Profile 2022), focuses on the ability of rituals to soothe, excite, unite and divide us.

Books by Dimitris Xygalatas Ph.D.

Recent Posts

Why Graduation Ceremonies Are Meaningful

Rites of passage do not merely celebrate transitions; they create them in the eyes of society. Losing such rites may lead to disillusionment and social disengagement.

When a U.S. President Tried to Change Thanksgiving

Why changing time-honored rituals is perceived as a moral violation.

What Cargo Cult Rituals Show Us About Human Nature

In Melanesia, indigenous communities developed elaborate rituals to bring themselves material wealth. These practices reveal a profoundly important and universal social technology.

What’s the Point of Holiday Gifts?

Gift exchanges may seem wasteful and impractical. But as social scientific research reveals, the costs and benefits of gift-giving aren’t what they seem.

Why We Love Holiday Rituals

Why do we love holiday rituals and traditions? A look at our psychology may reveal why they are so important to us.

Where Do Superstitions Come From?

Although superstitions may have no direct utility, research shows that they can have tangible psychological benefits.

Burning Man Highlights the Primordial Human Need for Ritual

The need for ritual is deeply seated in the human psyche and extends far beyond religion. By harnessing it, Burning Man creates meaningful experiences for attendees.

Is Suffering a Virtue?

People link effort with value and meaning, even when it is unproductive. This is due to mental heuristics that allow us to infer intentions from actions.

Why Many Schools Are Demolished After a Mass Shooting

Why do buildings feel tainted after a mass shooting? Psychological intuitions can help explain our fears and anxieties, and cultural traditions find ways of alleviating them.

5 Extraordinary Animal Rituals

Animal rituals can be truly bizarre. But a closer look reveals that many similar rituals are practiced by humans. They serve the same functions for us as they do for other species.