Final answer:
The provided texts do not specify the rituals performed by Pi on the lifeboat. Instead, they describe various other rituals and their psychological significance, indicating how rituals serve to alleviate anxiety and offer a semblance of control in unpredictable situations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The rituals performed by Pi on the lifeboat are not detailed in the excerpts provided; they appear to be from various texts that reference different types of rituals, but none specifically describe Pi's actions. Rituals in literature often symbolize coping mechanisms for characters facing extreme stress or danger. An example is the religious rituals of the Trobriand Islanders in Malinowski's research, which helped to reduce anxiety during dangerous voyages. Similarly, in Stephen Crane's 'The Open Boat', characters are described facing the sea's menace, which could inspire certain ritualistic behaviors as coping strategies, much like baseball players' superstitions documented by George Gmelch. Furthermore, ancient rituals like those of the Greeks, such as the rites of Cybele and the Thesmophoria, often had elements of purification, sacrifice, and communion with deities, reflecting a deep human need to seek control over the uncontrollable through ritual.