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By Ritual meaning: many cultures and personal practices use burning as a symbolic act—closure, letting go, anger expression, or a ritual for grief. That symbolism can produce real psychological shifts: reduced rumination, perceived closure, or increased emotional arousal. Performing the burn can either soothe (therapeutic ritual) or escalate negative feelings (reinforcing vindictive thinking), depending on intent and context.
Examples:
Personal closure: someone writes an ex’s name and burns the note in a small, controlled bowl to mark the end of a relationship; it helps them feel they have let go.
Hostile display: person burns a coworker’s name on office property and leaves it visible; this can lead to HR discipline or criminal complaints.
Example of paper burning ritual:
Write the name of the person you hate/caused you pain onto a piece of paper.
Light a Candle.
Pray to God to ask you to forgive this person, and release the pain this person caused you so you can be free of this person.
Burn the piece of paper. And Say, Father, in the Name of Jesus, I forgive this person and release him/her to you. Please help me to be free of this person forever, and protect me from them. Dear God, In the name of Jesus, cut any and all soul ties between me and this person, Set me free from this person, in Jesus name I pray, Amen. – Roger Smith -https://www.quora.com/What-happens-if-you-burn-a-paper-with-someone-s-name-on-it
What burning a paper with someone’s name on it does is sympathetic magic, the most ancient and earliest form of magic that was associated with healing, medicine, warding off the evil eye and welcoming good fortune.
There are some theories that prehistoric cave art may represent the earliest documented examples of sympathetic magic. If, for instance, a tribe’s shaman wanted to ensure a successful hunt, he might paint images of the hunting group killing an animal that would later be consumed by the whole tribe.
Sympathetic magic, also known as imitative magic, is a type of magic based on imitation or correspondence. . . this means that.
Carrying a charm, amulet or talisman on your person is a form of sympathetic magic.
The actual magic lies within the intention. The physical act of burning paper with a name on it can have a myriad of meanings depending upon your intention. As a former therapist, I can see a therapeutic value in some cases where this act of sympathetic magic is potentially helpful to the actor. I know more about psychology and less about witchcraft.
It is only witchcraft if you are performing a spell. If you want to create your own psychological ritual for psychologically being rid of something, or somebody, by all means, you have every right to do so. If you are trying to cause harm to the person named, karma will bite you in the arse in the end. – Yonas L. Lunata – https://www.quora.com/If-I-burn-a-paper-with-someone-s-name-on-it-is-it-considered-witchcraft.