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The Avatar Faculty
Ecstatic Transformations in Religion and Video Games
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The Avatar Faculty
$5699
Unit price
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Unavailable
Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
This book is ideal for students, scholars, and professionals interested in religion, digital culture, gaming, anthropology, and mental health, as well as anyone curious about how virtual identities impact psychological and social experiences.
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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
The Avatar Faculty creatively examines the parallels between spiritual and digital activities to explore the roles that symbolic second selves—avatars—can play in our lives. The use of avatars can allow for what anthropologists call ecstasy, from the Greek ekstasis, meaning "standing outside oneself."
The archaic techniques of promoting spiritual ecstasy, which remain central to religious healing traditions around the world, now also have contemporary analogues in virtual worlds found on the internet. In this innovative book, Jeffrey G. Snodgrass argues that avatars allow for the ecstatic projection of consciousness into alternate realities, potentially providing both the spiritually possessed and gamers access to superior secondary identities with elevated social standing.
Even if only temporary, self-transformations of these kinds can help reduce psychosocial stress and positively impact health and well-being.
Series: Ethnographic Studies in Subjectivity
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The Avatar Faculty
The Avatar Faculty creatively examines the parallels between spiritual and digital activities to explore the roles that symbolic second selves—avatars—can play in our lives. The use of avatars can allow for what anthropologists call ecstasy, from the Greek ekstasis, meaning "standing outside oneself." The archaic techniques of promoting spiritual ecstasy, which remain central to religious healing traditions around the world,...Paperback$5699Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 3-4 weeks -
The Avatar Faculty
The Avatar Faculty creatively examines the parallels between spiritual and digital activities to explore the roles that symbolic second selves—avatars—can play in our lives. The use of avatars can allow for what anthropologists call ecstasy, from the Greek ekstasis, meaning "standing outside oneself." The archaic techniques of promoting spiritual ecstasy, which remain central to religious healing traditions around the world,...Hardback$18099Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 3-4 weeks -
The Anatomy of Loneliness
Loneliness is everybody’s business. Neither a pathology, nor a rare affliction, it is part of the human condition. Severe and chronic loneliness, however, is a threat to individual and public health and appears to be on the rise. In this illuminating book, anthropologist Chikako Ozawa-de Silva examines loneliness in Japan, focusing on rising rates of suicide, the commodification of intimacy,...Paperback$6699Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 3-4 weeks
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Praised for its insightful approach, The Avatar Faculty offers valuable perspectives for scholars and social scientists of religion, gamers, designers, and mental health professionals. Reviews highlight its thoughtful examination of the blurred boundaries between religion and digital experience, its relevance to gaming immersion, and its contributions to understanding the cultural and psychological interplay affecting well-being.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780520384361
Publisher: University of California Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 10 January 2023
Country: United States
Imprint: University of California Press
Illustration: 35 b-w illustrations
Audience: Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 18.0mm
Width: 152.0mm
Height: 229.0mm
Weight: 363g
Pages: 280
About the Author
Jeffrey G. Snodgrass is Professor of Anthropology at Colorado State University.
Also by Jeffrey G. Snodgrass
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The Avatar Faculty
The Avatar Faculty creatively examines the parallels between spiritual and digital activities to explore the roles that symbolic second selves—avatars—can play in our lives. The use of avatars can allow for what anthropologists call ecstasy, from the Greek ekstasis, meaning "standing outside oneself." The archaic techniques of promoting spiritual ecstasy, which remain central to religious healing traditions around the world,...Hardback$18099Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 3-4 weeks
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