Hidden Brain

An Ancient Solution to Modern Problems

<p>People in every country and culture mark important milestones, such as births, marriages and deaths, with intricately choreographed scripts. We even appeal to supernatural forces  to give our favorite sports teams an extra advantage. This week on the show, anthropologist <a href="https://www.xygalatas.com/">Dimitris Xygalatas</a> explains the psychological power behind the sacred and secular rituals that structure our lives. </p><p>Did you catch our recent episode about the secret to good gift giving? You can find it <a href="https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/the-secret-to-gift-giving/">here </a>.   And if you like our work, please consider a <a href="https://www.patreon.com/HiddenBrain">financial contribution</a> to help us make many more episodes like this one. </p>

Why do I feel stuck? How can I become more creative? What can I do to improve my relationships? If you’ve ever asked yourself these questions, you’re not alone. On Hidden Brain, we help you understand your own mind — and the minds of the people around you. (We're routinely rated the #1 science podcast in the United States.) Hosted by veteran science journalist Shankar Vedantam.