Ritual Postures are embodied “ritual instructions” depicted in select ancient art and material culture from early societies across the globe. Research initiated more than five decades ago by anthropologist and linguist Dr. Felicitas D. Goodman, founder of the CUYA – Cuyamungue Institute, identified these distinctive postures as reliable catalysts for inducing altered states of consciousness (ASC) when performed within a structured ritual context. Goodman’s cross-cultural investigations revealed a consistent range of experiential phenomena associated with these postures, suggesting their relevance to human flourishing, healing, transformational learning, and both individual and collective awakening.
Over the past fifty years, the study and practice of Ritual Postures has expanded internationally, with thousands of participants engaging in this work under the auspices of the Cuyamungue Institute, the nonprofit educational and research organization stewarding this lineage.