Hi there. That's a difficult question to answer. Most folks have their own rituals and some idea of what they want to acheive through these rituals. For some people it may be scarification or branding, for others piercing or suspension.

For me, ritual body mods involve work of a more surgical nature. I feel transformed after these mods. It's like I grow as a person after enduring one of the “rites of passage” I choose. I believe I grow spiritually, emotionally and mentally.

I know this wasn't a concrete answer to your question, but I believe there isn't one. If I HAD to put it in a phrase, I guess it would be: Any ritual involving modification of the flesh which in turn, modifies the mind & spirit. But, I don't want to speak for everyone. Hope I helped. :)o