The sacrifice and the reciprocity-programme in religious rituals and in man's everyday interactions

Abstract

The sacrifice is a ritualized central structure in religious practice worldwide, but from a psychological point of view it may be much more than that. On the basis of crosscultural, comparative, and experimental data, where 162 strangers are arranged to meet in twos without knowing that their interaction is being observed, it is argued that the sacrifice is not first and foremost a religious concept, let alone a behavioural structure primarily related to the man-god relation, but rather a key factor in man's sociality and a general evolutionary interaction unit based on a cognitive reciprocity-programme well known in animal life, from sperm whales and vampire bats to higher primates and ourselves. Furthermore, it is suggested that in our species the religious sacrifice becomes a ritualized sacred action, because this act symbolically highlights the natural reciprocity relations that have to prevail among men, if a society is to exist at all. Unlike all other species man practice complex symbolic behaviours such as art, cult, and rite, and in doing so we are capable of sanctifying particular parts of our surroundings. Persons performing specific roles, or

Human Nature and the Sociology of Religion

“…The sacrifice, for instance, is an essential ritualized gesture in religious practice worldwide. However, it is also a key factor in human sociality ("you have to give to get"), as well as a general evolutionary interaction unit based on a cognitive reciprocity-programme well known in animal life, from sperm whales and vampire bats to primates as ourselves (Høgh-Olesen 2006, 2013, Mauss 1925/1990).…”

Sacrifice in the Ancient Mediterranean: Recent and Current Research

“…This mode of religion focuses on the assumption that the gods are powerful figures with whom humans can cultivate relationships of reciprocity. (On reciprocity in sacrifice see Atran 2002: 114-46;Gill et al 1998;Høgh-Olesen 2006;Linders and Nordquist 1987;Satlow 2013;Seaford 1994;Parker 1998;Ullucci 2012: 24-35. ) Building on cognitive theory, Stowers show how the practices of 'the religion of everyday social exchange' derive intuitively from the assumption that the gods are powerful agents interested in human affairs.…”

Offerets Psykologi – Kognition Og Religion I Evolutionær Belysning

“…Andre eksperimenter (Høgh-Olesen, 2006) har vist, at ofrets gestus og reciprocitetens rytmer ligeledes gennemstrømmer de kommunikative udvekslinger i mødet mellem fremmede. Man giver for at få, forventer det givne gengaeldt, og praktiserer udtalt reciprocitet og turn-taking i såvel form som emnevalg, hvilket igen viser, i hvor stor udstraekning reciprociteten strukturerer de fleste af vore sociale udvekslinger uden for den intime yngelplejes naere relationer, og dette giver samtidig mening!…”