How Authentic And Religious Are Virtual Rituals - Essay Example

no. How authentic and religious are virtual rituals? Christopher Helland’s “ritual” is concerned with the ways inwhich technology; predominantly the internet has altered access to information about religion. According to Helland, the speed at which people are gaining access to religious information and what they are doing with such information is contentious1 . The accessibility of information online has drawn more people to virtual religious places, thus pulling them further away from offline, real-life religion. Connelly attests to this observation when he states that the lack of Buddhist teachers and learning centers, among other factors, has facilitated the growth of an online Buddhist ritual “Second Life”2. Helland views a ritual as an individual or communal engagement undertaken for sacred reasons, which allows a person to have contact with the supernatural3. A ritual can also be performed as a form of expressing social cohesion and preserving culture. In terms of social cohesion, Connelly states that through Second Life, feel like they belong to a community in which there are expressive involvements4. The problem with online rituals as Helland states is that a person may decide to develop individual religiosity and deviate from what their traditional religious authority prescribes5. These cyber rituals allow for some form of religious freedom that some strict religions are not comfortable with. According to Helland this raises the question of authenticity and authority of the people carrying out the rituals and the rituals themselves6. Judging by this form of evaluation, Second Life would seem legitimate because, as Connelly states, most of the facilitators are ordained priest in real-life, who lead meditation rituals at Buddha centers7. That aside, many questions are asked about the authenticity of the symbols found online and the sacredness of online space. The seriousness or level of religiousness of these symbols and the rituals they are used in is what bothers many religious observers. Although many people who are involved in online rituals claim that these rituals are as valid as real-life physical rituals, this issue remains to be a subject of debate. According to Connelly the symbols used in Second Life include donation boxes, statue of Buddha, incense, and meditation cushions8. These symbols, among others are a representation of the actual artifacts found at the Buddha Center. Virtual pilgrimages according to Helland are one of the most common points of disagreement between participants and observers9. The fact that such pilgrimages are called “virtual pilgrimages” makes observers hold the view that they are unreal. Here, it appears that observers measure the authenticity of pilgrimages using physical presence. In essence, this argument holds that a pilgrimage could only be valid if a person went physically to a place that is recognized as sacred by their religion. On the other hand, believers and practitioners of online religion believe that a spiritual journey does not have to bet physical, it can be metaphorical. For example, in addressing silent meditation in Second Life, Connelly states that while participants are meditating online, they are represented by avatars10. These avatars sit cross-legged in a room and they form a semicircle facing the statue of Buddha. Participants in Second Life even prostrate three times before entering the temple, in addition to using such words as “Namaste” at the final chime, in order to thank the facilitator. Yet, the availability of exceptionally good images and sounds that allows someone to make an electronic pilgrimage inside their head is real to those who believe. Helland states that there are those web developers who take the virtual sacred travels more real by, for example, connect with the actual places. This way, these developers can place sacred words or prayer items that can be read to the online audience during the virtual pilgrimage. In silent meditation, according to Connelly, the facilitator uses note cards that contain scriptures, and quotes that the participants can use during meditation11. Although sophistication in technology has led to the creation of 3D images that are a replica of the actual places, many of those opposed to online rituals argue that there is no virtual culture that regulates the code of conduct in online rituals, unlike in real life. Connelly writes that in Second Life, one does not have to be a stanch Buddhist to take part in the silent reflection formal procedures, although may want to use Second Life as a technique of getting into Buddhism12. It is also worthy noting that participants from different Buddhist schools are allowed to meditate in Second Life. Clad in an array of ensembles in accordance with one’s liking, avatars sit on the ground and engage in personal meditation. Free will is also practiced in Second Life, where the facilitator allows the participants to use whichever form of meditation that pleases them. The creation of online rituals, according to Helland, transforms the actual rituals through technological innovations, which eventually lead to leaving out of a number of aspects that cannot be generated online13. This verity has been well illustrated by Connelly who writes that Second Life majors generally on visual and auditory communication thus excluding other senses such as smell and touch. This means that only those with hearing and sight capabilities can be able to take part in Buddhist rituals online. However, in order to cater for the exclusion of the senses of smell, taste, and touch, creators of Second Life, according to Connelly have made excellent use of aesthetics and artifacts whose designs are taken from real-life, thus providing some degree of legitimacy. Therefore, the issue of virtual rituals continues to generate a lot of debate among religious practitioners and observers alike. Although many strict religious people argue that virtual rituals lack a sense of authenticity and realness due to the absence of physicality, practitioners of online rituals argue otherwise. For the latter, the idea is that if online rituals provide the same degree of religious nourishment as offline rituals, then both serve the same and equal purpose. In the words of Connelly, if virtual meditation leads to the accomplishment of the definitive goal of Buddhism; being freed from the cycle of birth and rebirth, then online Buddhism is as good as offline Buddhism14. Works cited Connelly, Louise. “Virtual Buddhism: Buddhist Ritual in Second Life”. Digital Religion: Understanding Religious Practice In New Media Worlds, Ed. Campbell Heidi. Oxon: Routledge, 2012.128-135. Print. Helland, Christopher. “Ritual”. Digital Religion: Understanding Religious Practice In New Media Worlds, Ed. Campbell Heidi. Oxon: Routledge, 2012. 25-40. Print. Read More