Karmic Knowledge

A University of Toronto study has validated what those of us who work with ritual have known for some time; immersing your body under running water is good for the soul. The study, originally published in the journal Science, reveals that washing one’s hands after commiting or even just contemplating an unethical act could ease one’s guilt. Chen-Bo Zhong, one of the scientists who conducted the study states:

What we found is that, after an individual has been morally challenged, there is an increased need to cleanse… Daily hygiene routines such as washing hands, as simple and benign as they may seem, can deliver a powerful antidote to threatened morality.

Is this really news? Many ancient civilizations held water as a sacred and fundamental element of life. The washing away of “sins,” sometimes referred to as Ablution, has been a part of organized religion for centuries. More than one faith considers washing before prayer not only good form but essential. On the site for The National Jewish Resource Center’s Ritual Life Archive we find this tidbit:

Washing of hands in a ceremonial fashion is used as a way of easing transitions from one state of consciousness to another…

Now both sides of your brain have good reason to heed the advice of your mother: Wash Your Hands!