Trending ‘rage rituals’ on TikTok see women pay to scream, smash sticks in woods

She begins sessions with breathing exercises, then encourages participants to release hidden emotions and anger towards anyone who has wronged them.

“Your spirit is a volcano, let yourself erupt!” Banducci shouts to the participants, her voice gradually drowned out by the sounds of screaming and beating sticks.

Women who attend the rituals scream, cry, and beat sticks on the ground outdoors. Photo: Shutterstock

Some women began sobbing uncontrollably, while others kneel on the ground getting covered in dirt and mud. Some even had cuts and bruises on their hands.

“When people do this and give themselves permission to release their anger their capacity for joy actually expands,” Banducci said.

The Rage Ritual has resonated widely on TikTok and YouTube, with some videos receiving more than 39,000 likes.

“So, we all just simultaneously felt the urge to cry while watching this, right? I wish I could afford to go to this,” one person on TikTok said.

“I literally cried seeing this, I need it,” another said.

Two and a half years ago, Kimberly Helmus, a cybersecurity engineer, first took part in a Rage Ritual following her divorce. She has since repeated the experience twice.

“It’s really a place where you can be this feral, wild woman and not be looked at, other than with love and acceptance and care,” Helmus said.

Banducci has been conducting anger rituals for years in Scotland and the trend has begun spreading around the world.

A Sacred Rage Ceremony has been planned for Alberta, Canada in July by a local wellness community, and a similar event will be hosted in North Carolina in the United States in June.

However, it is not cheap to scream with rage at an organised event.

A retreat hosted by Banducci, which includes the ritual, costs from US$2,000 to US$4,000, while a one-day pass is priced at US$222.

This cost has provoked mixed reactions on mainland social media.

“Why not just scream by yourself for free?” one online observer from China said.

“I can do a lot of things to buy happiness with this money,” said another.

“I think the ritual is a good thing. Going crazy really helps with mental health,” said a third.

The therapeutic approach of Primal Scream Therapy, developed in the 1970s by psychologist Arthur Yanov to release suppressed trauma, is a significant aspect of rage rituals.

During the pandemic, collective emotions such as anger, anxiety, and grief led to a resurgence of the therapy.

In 2020, The New York Times introduced a Primal Scream Line, encouraging individuals overwhelmed by the pandemic to express their frustrations.

While Rage Rituals can be cathartic, they are not suitable for everyone, according to psychologist Stephanie Sarkis, an American Mental Health Counselors Association Diplomate based in Florida.

She says some people might find it more beneficial to practise soothing strategies such as deep breathing, walking, or listening to calming music.

文章来源：scmp

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