Ritual is intimately connected with the mask, either in the wearing that hides the true face, or in the adoption of a public face.  The mask makes the disengagement from ordinary time and the connection to the ancient and repetitive, which is the heart of ritual, psychologically acceptable. Together, ritual, and mask facilitate the apprehension of identity and its connections with paradox by placing the mystery of change outside of life's ordinary reasonableness into the doman of magic and power. This change and transformation is enacted by the sacrifice of the ritual.

- Kak, S. 2004. Ritual Masks and Sacrifice. Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences, 11.