João Francisco Pollo Gaspary , Alfred Lee Edgar , Fernanda Peron Gaspary , Eduarda Grando Lopes , Luis Felipe Dias Lopes
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background
Ancestral healing rituals have long been embedded in cultural traditions as symbolic practices. However, emerging evidence suggests these rituals may act as structured behavioral interventions capable of eliciting adaptive physiological responses. This study proposes a translational reinterpretation of ancestral healing rituals through the lens of contemporary redox biology, systems physiology, and bioenergetic modulation.
Methods
Using a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and PRISMA-guided systematic reviews, the study was organized into five work packages (WP’s). Historical (WP2) and physiological (WP3) systematic reviews identified Fundamental Points of View (FPV’s) and Critical Success Factors (CSF’s). Heuristic triangulation in WP4 led to the emergence of the APEIC model (Adaptive Psychoneuroendocrineimmunometabolic Cascade), integrating behavioral practices with bioenergetic and metabolic processes. The model was validated in WP5 using SMART and FINER criteria.
Results
Five FPV’s (e.g., meditation, fasting, ritual celebration) and thirteen CSFs (e.g., redox modulation, neuroplasticity, immune adaptation) were identified. Findings suggest that rituals rhythmically modulate proton gradients, redox balance, and metabolic flexibility, contributing to systemic coherence. The APEIC model explains how ritual-induced stimuli can synchronize psychoneuroendocrine, immune, and metabolic systems via transient physiological oscillations. Endogenous DMT is proposed as a potential biomarker of integrative coherence.
Conclusion
Ancestral healing rituals can be reinterpreted as biologically plausible platforms for inducing adaptive physiological states. The APEIC model provides a conceptual foundation for non-pharmacological health strategies rooted in ancestral behavioral intelligence. Future studies should experimentally test the model’s mechanisms to inform integrative and personalized healthcare applications.
期刊介绍:
EXPLORE: The Journal of Science & Healing addresses the scientific principles behind, and applications of, evidence-based healing practices from a wide variety of sources, including conventional, alternative, and cross-cultural medicine. It is an interdisciplinary journal that explores the healing arts, consciousness, spirituality, eco-environmental issues, and basic science as all these fields relate to health.