Environmental Behavioral Sciences Seminar 

Re-sacralizing Nature: Sacred Rituals as Pathways to Environmental Sustainability
In the face of the environmental crisis, solutions often focus on technological innovation and policy reform. However, cultural practices, particularly sacred rituals, offer powerful yet under-explored pathways for promoting sustainability. Drawing from an interdisciplinary research program that brings laboratory methods into real-life settings, I discuss how rituals can address cooperation dilemmas, motivate prosocial behaviors, and foster ecological stewardship. I propose integrating culture-based frameworks into contemporary sustainability efforts by collaborating with local communities and religious and cultural organizations to re-sacralize nature and scale traditional practices for modern environmental challenges. By leveraging the emotional resonance and social power of sacred rituals, societies can inspire a deeper commitment to protecting the environment and advance innovative, community-driven solutions to the pressing environmental challenges of our time.
 

Bio
Dimitris Xygalatas is an anthropologist and Director of the Cognitive Science Program at the University of Connecticut. His research focuses on cultural practices that create meaning, promote resilience, and motivate cooperation and prosocial behaviors. His work on those topics involves an interdisciplinary approach that combines lab and field methods. At UConn, he directs the Experimental Anthropology Lab, which develops innovative methods and technologies for studying behavior in real-life settings. He has conducted several years of fieldwork in Southern Europe and the Indian Ocean. His work has been published in numerous journals across various fields, including anthropology, biology, psychology, religious studies, and general science. His most recent book, published in ten languages, is Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living.