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The Avatar Faculty: Ecstatic Transformations in Religion and Video Games by Jeffrey G. Snodgrass at Abbey's Bookshop,
The Avatar Faculty: Ecstatic Transformations in Religion and Video Games
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Jeffrey G. Snodgrass

The Avatar Faculty

Ecstatic Transformations in Religion and Video Games

Jeffrey G. Snodgrass

$49.95

Paperback

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English
University of California Press
29 March 2023
Religion: general; Ethnic studies; Anthropology; Psychology; Computer games: strategy guides
Series: Ethnographic Studies in Subjectivity
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.
By:  
Imprint:   University of California Press
Country of Publication:   United States
Volume:   16
Dimensions:   Height: 229mm,  Width: 152mm,  Spine: 18mm
Weight:   363g
ISBN:   9780520384361
ISBN 10:   0520384369
Series:   Ethnographic Studies in Subjectivity
Pages:   280
Publication Date:  
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Undergraduate
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Contents List of Illustrations Key Terms and Abbreviations Preface  Central Characters and Settings Introduction  1 • Sacred and Secular Settings  2 • The Psychology of Avatar Therapeutics: Absorptive Experiences and Stress Relief 3 • The Psychosocial Dynamics of Avatar  Therapeutics: Enhanced Self-Image and Elevated Social Standing  4 • Distinguishing Therapeutic from Toxic Avatar Experiences: Norm Conflicts and Felt Dissonance  Conclusion  Acknowledgments Appendix A. Chapter 2 Supplemental Material:  Survey Methods and Results  Appendix B. Chapter 3 Supplemental Materials: Survey Methods and Results Appendix C. Chapter 4 Supplemental Material: Survey Methods and Results  Notes  Glossary  References  Index 

Jeffrey G. Snodgrass is Professor of Anthropology at Colorado State University.

Reviews for The Avatar Faculty: Ecstatic Transformations in Religion and Video Games

""Scholars and social scientists of religion will find much of interest in this book, because it explores the increasingly uncertain borders of 'religion,' when secularization may be obscuring the meaning of the concept without actually satisfying the human need for sacred norms and profound meanings."" * Nova Religio * ""For those interested in gaming, ranging from scholars to designers to players, it provides new perspectives to think through ideas like immersion, and insights to help structure digital avatar experiences that are more health-promoting than health-eroding."" * Culture, Medicine, and Psychiatry * “The Avatar Faculty is an essential contribution for any student or scholar invested in the psychosocial dynamics of religious or digital experience.” * Journal of the American Academy of Religion * ""For psychiatrists and others interested in mental health, the book demonstrates the utility of the psychological anthropological approach, which foregrounds this complex interplay between human culture and cognition."" * Culture, Medicine, and Psychiatry *


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