Dimitris Xygalatas

Infobox academic
name = Dimitris Xygalatas
box width = 180 px


image_size = 160 px
caption =
birth_date = birth date and age|1977|8|5|mf=y
birth_place =
education = Ph.D. in Anthropology, Institute of Cognition and Culture, Queen's University Belfast (2007)
nationality = Greek
field = Anthropology
work_institutions = Princeton University, Aarhus University, Queen's University Belfast, Aristotle University
alma_mater = Queen's University Belfast
doctoral_advisor = Harvey Whitehouse
prizes =

Dimitris Xygalatas (born in 1977), is a Greek anthropologist and research fellow at the Program in Hellenic Studies at Princeton University. He conducted anthropological fieldwork in Greece, Bulgaria and Spain, where he studied the firewalking rituals of Europe.

tudies

He studied religion at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, and Aarhus University, Denmark. He received his PhD in Anthropology from the Institute of Cognition and Culture, at Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Career

Currently: Research Fellow, Program in Hellenic Studies, Princeton University, NJ. [Program in Hellenic Studies as cited in cite web | url=http://www.princeton.edu/~hellenic/postdocs2008-09.html |title=Hellenic Studies-Postdoctoral Fellows-Princeton University |accessdate=2008-08-08 |format= |work=]

2007-2008¨: Research Fellow, Department for the Study of Religion, Aarhus University, Denmark. [Religion, Cognition and Culture as cited in cite web | url=http://www.teo.au.dk/forskning/aktuelt/religion/deltagere/principal |title=Principal Staff |accessdate=2008-08-08 |format= |work=]

2006-2007: Greek Language Tutor, Queen’s University Belfast.

2002-2003: Research Assistant in the Study of Religion, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

Xygalatas is also a translator of academic books for Vanias Publications, in Greece.

Research

During the years 2005 and 2006, Dimitris Xygalatas conducted fieldwork among the communities of the Anastenaria of Northern Greece and the Nestinari of South-Eastern Bulgaria, where firewalking rituals are performed. The results of this fieldwork materialized in the completion of his doctoral dissertation, entitled "Firewalking in Northern Greece: A Cognitive Approach to High-Arousal Rituals". This research focused on the motivational aspects of participation in high arousal rituals. The findings of this research indicated that people’s explicit exegesis on the meaning and purpose of their own ritual actions gradually emerges through their participation in these actions and, most importantly, that emotional-physiological arousal plays key role in the construction of this exegesis. Based on these findings, he argued that such extreme, stimulating rituals can trigger psychological mechanisms that generate motivation for further participation, fortify group cohesion, and create sensations of extreme significance and momentousness, affecting memory and attention. Within the appropriate cultural context, these subjective perceptions are interpreted according to the dominant patterns in order to provide the certainty of divine revelation and motivate participation in and transmission of these rituals. [Xygalatas, Dimitris: "Firewalking and the Brain: The Physiology of High-Arousal Rituals", in Joseph Bulbulia, Richard Sosis, Erica Harris, Russell Genet, Cheryl Genet, and Karen Wyman (eds.) "Evolution of Religion: Studies, Theories, and Critiques", Santa Margarita, CA: Collins Foundation Press, pp. 189-195.]

In 2008, he went to Spain to conduct an ethnographic experiment with an international team of researchers during the "firewalking" rituals of San Pedro Manrique. This revolutionary expedition brought scientific methods of inquiry into the field, combined with more traditional ethnographic methods. The team used different measuring instruments (such as heart-rate monitors and electrocardiography) in order to examine levels of arousal during the performance of the ritual. [Aarhus University as cited in cite web | url=http://www.teo.au.dk/forskning/aktuelt/religion/nyheder/firewalk |title=firewalk |accessdate=2008-08-08 |format= |work=]

Publications

Original Works

• In press. “Firewalking in the Balkans: High Arousal Rituals and Memory”, in: Ivan Czachesz (ed.), "Changing Minds: Religion and Cognition through the Ages", Groningen Studies in Cultural Change Series, Leuven: Peeters.

• 2008. “Reductionism and the Scientific Study of Religion”, in the Greek Translation of Pascal Boyer, "Et L’homme Créa les Dieux" (Greek title: "Και ο Άνθρωπος Έπλασε τους Θεούς", Θεσσαλονίκη: Βάνιας), pp. 9-25.

• 2007. “Firewalking and the Brain: The Physiology of High-Arousal Rituals”, in: Joseph Bulbulia, Richard Sosis, Erica Harris, Russell Genet, Cheryl Genet, and Karen Wyman (eds.) "Evolution of Religion: Studies, Theories, and Critiques", Santa Margarita, CA: Collins Foundation Press, pp. 189-195. [Collins Foundation Press as cited in cite web |url=http://www.collinsfoundationpress.com/E%20of%20R/E%20of%20R%20Home.htm |title=collinsfoundationpress|accessdate=2008-08-08 |format= |work=]

• 2007. “The Flying Spaghetti Monster and Religious Fundamentalism”, in the Greek translation of: Daniel Dennett, "Breaking the Spell" (Greek Title: "Απομυθοποίηση", Θεσσαλονίκη: Βάνιας), pp. 7-13.

• 2006. “Introduction to the Cognitive Science of Religion”, in the Greek Translation of Harvey Whitehouse, "Modes of Religiosity" (Greek title: "Τύποι Θρησκευτικότητας", Θεσσαλονίκη: Βάνιας), pp. 9-92.

• 2004. with Panayotis Pachis (Eds.), "Collected Essays on the Study of Religion", Thessaloniki: Vanias Publications. (Greek title: "Γρηγόριος Ζιάκας, Θρησκειολογικά Ανάλεκτα").

Translations

• Forthcoming (with Nikolas Roubekas). Steven Mithen, "The Prehistory of the Mind", London: Thames & Hudson 1996 (Greek title: "Η Προϊστορία του Νου").

• Forthcoming. Daniel Dennett, "Darwin’s Dangerous Idea", London: Penguin 1995 (Greek title: "Η Επικίνδυνη Θεωρία του Δαρβίνου", Θεσσαλονίκη: Βάνιας).

• 2008 (with Nickolas Roubekas). Pascal Boyer, "Et L’homme Créa les Dieux", Paris: Robert Laffont 2001 (Greek title: "Και ο Άνθρωπος Έπλασε τους Θεούς", Θεσσαλονίκη: Βάνιας).

• 2007 (with Nickolas Roubekas). Daniel Dennett, "Breaking the Spell", New York: Viking (Penguin) 2006 (Greek title: "Απομυθοποίηση", Θεσσαλονίκη: Βάνιας).

• 2006. Harvey Whitehouse, "Modes of Religiosity", Oxford 2004 (Greek title: "Τύποι Θρησκευτικότητας", Θεσσαλονίκη: Βάνιας).

• 2004. Luther Η. Martin, "Hellenistic Religions: An Introduction", NY-Oxford 1987 (Greek title: "Οι Θρησκείες της Ελληνιστικής Εποχής", Θεσσαλονίκη: Βάνιας).

• 2003. Russell McCutcheon and Willi Braun, "Guide to the Study of Religion", London-NY 2000 (Greek title: "Εγχειρίδιο Θρησκειολογίας", Θεσσαλονίκη: Βάνιας).

• 2003. Russell McCutcheon, "Manufacturing Religion", NY-Oxford 1997 (Greek title: "Κατασκευάζοντας τη Θρησκεία", Θεσσαλονίκη: Βάνιας).

ee also

Cognitive anthropology

Cognitive science of religion

Links

* [http://www.xygalatas.com Official home page]
* [http://www.princeton.edu/~hellenic/postdocs2008-09.html Hellenic Studies Program at Princeton University]
* [http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/InstituteofCognitionCulture/CurrentStudents/ResearchStudents/ Institute of Cognition and Culture]
* [http://www.teo.au.dk/forskning/aktuelt/religion/deltagere/principal Religion, Cognition and Culture at Aarhus University]
* [http://www.iacsr.com IACSR - International Association for the Cognitive Science of Religion]

Notes