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Indigenous knowledge of spiritual protection could help fight crime.
AI is slowly becoming part of the religious sphere.
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The merging of technology and faith is sparking a transformative shift in redefining spirituality and religious practices.
AI-created sermons have proved controversial for some religious leaders.
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Not quite, writes an expert on Christian worship. Chatbots do not have human experience of love – and, above all, they lack a soul.
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People have died after taking the banned frog secretion Kambô, and even when things go right there’s a lot of vomiting.
Jewish mothers have created ways to celebrate childbirth with rituals old and new.
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Recent generations of Jewish women have looked to reinvent rituals marking the most meaningful moments in their lives, especially childbirth and motherhood.
A robotic arm (below on right) is used to worship by maneuvering a candle in front of the Hindu god Ganesha.
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The use of AI and robotic technology in worship is raising profound questions about its long-term consequences. Will it lead to the betterment of society or replace practitioners?
White sage is being commonly used for purification rituals.
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Native Americans are struggling to find sage for their spiritual practices as the plant is being overharvested for sale to the wider public.
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Rituals have been around for hundreds of thousands of years – but are they still useful today?
If only little Gregory got a gift card …
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Finding good gifts can be tricky. Here are some research-backed tips to help you with your holiday shopping.
Lucky charms help us feel safer in an uncertain world.
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An anthropologist explains why we all have some irrational beliefs and the reason they give us comfort.
Halloween in Korea is celebrated primarily by young adults.
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Halloween was virtually nonexistent in South Korea until about a decade ago. But commercialization is taking popular holidays to unlikely places across the globe.
How did Halloween get associated with the spooky?
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A folklorist explains how Halloween continues an ancient Celtic tradition of the celebration of the dead.
An example of the rock art created by young Samburu men.
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Instead of displaying myths, Samburu rock art reveals real-life stories and is made as a leisure activity.
Environmental concerns are one of the reasons Americans are opting for cremation.
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As late as 1970, only about 5% of Americans chose to be cremated. In 2020, more than 56% Americans opted for it.
A playground bench is colorfully decorated at the new Sandy Hook Elementary School, which replaced the one torn down after a gunman killed 20 first graders and six educators in 2012.
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An anthropologist explains the power of purification rituals, such as bringing down a building following a tragic occurrence in it, and why they help reduce our anxieties.
Widows in the northern Nigerian city of Kano.
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Widows in Nigeria are still exposed to harmful practices.
‘Antigone leads Oedipus out of Thebes’ painting by Charles Francois Jalabert.
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A scholar of Greek classics revisits the texts to bring lessons on how to honor the lives lost to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Children celebrating Easter, with their Easter Bunnies and Easter eggs.
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A folklorist explains the prehistoric origins of the mythical Easter Bunny and why this longstanding cultural symbol keeps returning each spring.
People celebrating the Songkran Festival in Luang Prabang, Laos, in April 2021.
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In Southeast Asia, Songkran is a time to celebrate the coming year with water fights, honoring elders and offering prayers.
Some people are drawn to the idea of a natural burial to bring more of the dying ritual into their homes.
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Green burial is not a new concept, but it is gaining interest among consumers, and some religious groups are leading the way. A theologian explains what’s involved and who natural burials appeal to.