Ancient
Explore by topic, region and evidence
Investigations into traditions rooted in ancient societies and early historical civilizations.
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Why Do Devotees Circumambulate Sacred Places?
Walking around a shrine, temple, stupa, sacred mountain or holy object appears in many traditions. Tradivior will investigate why movement around a centre became sacred, how direction matters, and whether…
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Why Do Buddhists Make Prostrations?
Prostration appears across Buddhist traditions as reverence, training and deliberate lowering of the self. Tradivior will compare its meanings across regions and ask what repetitive full-body ritual may do to…
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Why Do Christians Kneel, Stand and Make the Sign of the Cross?
Christian worship has long used posture and gesture to make belief visible in the body. Tradivior will examine how kneeling, standing and the sign of the cross developed across churches,…
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Why Do Humans Pray?
Prayer appears in radically different religious traditions as petition, praise, confession, gratitude, remembrance and disciplined attention. Tradivior will investigate what prayer has historically meant, what psychology and neuroscience can actually…