ABSTRACT
In Chapter 6 we entertained what I shall call a `new mythology of suffering' ± namely, that the process of productive suffering is ritualistic in kind. There we claimed that our journey through productive suffering, just like a journey through any transition ritual, broadly takes place over three stages. The ®rst stage we called `separation', where the individual leaves their customary life and enters a new emotional space. We then spoke of a second stage which we called `transition', where the individual, free from their usual obligations, now undergoes a period of transition or transformation once having entered the new space. In this chapter I shall deepen our inquiry into this second and most critical stage of the ritual process, by providing further examples of what occurs during this transitional phase. Once having discussed this second stage more deeply, we shall be better positioned to consider the third stage of the ritual process, focusing on the individual's `reincorporation' back into social life.
