Pre-Game Rituals

There’s a substantial volume of research showing that rituals of all sorts can have positive impacts on communities and the individuals that make up those communities.

It’s commonly assumed, based on that research, that rituals like synchronized dances play a vital role in community development and survival because they help people feel more connected to their neighbors while also stoking feelings of shared beliefs, causes, responsibilities, and kinship.

There’s been speculation that the modern drop in religious affiliation, especially in wealthier countries, has played a role in what seems to be social discohension in some of those same (increasingly non-religious) societies, not because of the beliefs those religions inspire, but because communities that previously relied upon these organizations as an excuse to regularly participate in gatherings (in which attendees sing, dance, chant, and worship together) can no longer rely upon them for this service.