While Raelians perform a variety of meditations, the transmission of the cellular plan is the only formal ritual within the Raelian Movement. This is often described as a baptism or initiation, and it marks a parson's formal entrance into the movement.
The Act of Apostasy:
Before a person can be baptized, they must perform the Act of Apostasy, which includes filling out a form renouncing previous baptism and formally requesting their previous religious organization strike them from their membership list.
The Raelian Movement is an atheistic religion that requires acknowledgement that existence is entirely physical, with no immortal soul and no supernatural entities. New members also acknowledge that our creators are alien but entirely physical beings.
The Ritual:
A high-ranking Raelian known as a Guide must be present for the baptism. The Guide dips his hands in water and then places his hands on the new member's forehead. This gesture transmits the vibrations of one's genetic code to the Elohim.
Timing:
The initiation of new members happens four times a year: the first Sunday in April, August 6, October 7, and December 13. Each of these days has significance within the Raelian movement.
Significance:
The ritual has strong symbolic meaning as one consciously acknowledges the Elohim as their creators and judges. Many also appear to feel that the ritual will assist in the likelihood of being cloned by the Elohim, although certainly no such promise has been made.
