Profs and Pints Online presents: “Lessons from Animal Rituals,” on what social animals teach us about ourselves, with Dr. Caitlin O'Connell, behavioral ecologist, world-renowned elephant scientist, and award-winning author of Wild Rituals.

[ This talk will remain available in recorded form at the link given here for tickets and access.]

Dealing with other humans can be challenging these days. Might this task be made easier by learning from other social animals, such as elephants, apes, zebras, rhinos, lions, whales, ostriches, flamingos?

Having spent more than 30 years studying animals in their natural habitat, Dr. Caitlin O’Connell certainly thinks so. She’ll show you why when she gives a remarkable Profs and Pints lecture based on research discussed in her new book, Wild Rituals: 10 Lessons Animals Can Teach Us About Connection, Community, and Ourselves.

In a culture of technology (and a current pandemic) where we find ourselves living at a greater distance from nature and each other, Dr. O’Connell will tap into the hidden world of ritual in other social animals to remind us how similar we are to other animal societies and to encourage us to find healing, self-awareness, community, and self-reinvention.

Dr. O’Connell will draw striking parallels between other social animals and our own species, describing how ritual plays a major role among animals in strengthening family bonds and coalitions. It facilitates forgiveness, long-distance communication, and even helps families celebrate the arrival of a new family member or grieve a lost loved one.

She’ll share how we can become more connected to ourselves, nature, and others by embracing different rituals of the animal kingdom, including greeting, group rituals, gifting, play, grieving, and rituals related to renewal and migration.

Her talk will take us on a scholarly journey into the desert, grasslands, riverine forest, jungle, salt ponds and open ocean. And her discussion of the lives of animals just might leave you happier with your own.

Profs & Pints Online: Lessons from Animal Rituals