An autoethnographic exploration of virtual worship : exploring religious experience in cyberspace

Abstract

Technology has revolutionised the traditional concept of worship and impacted the understanding of spirituality. The rise of the internet and digital technologies has revolutionised how individuals interact with each other and their surroundings, including religious spaces. This autoethnographic exploration delves into the experience of virtual worship and how the digital revolution is transforming spiritual experiences. Based on my personal experiences and observations, I have investigated the world of virtual worship and discovered the unique religious experiences it offers in cyberspace. It also reveals the potential for technology to facilitate religious experiences through virtual sacred spaces and discusses the possibility of these online experiences replacing worship in physical reality. I have discovered that virtual worship provides advantages such as connecting with a global community of believers and the convenience of participating in religious activities from the comfort of their own homes. However, there are also possible drawbacks, including a lack of intimacy and connection with the physical world. This exploration highlights the intricate and evolving relationship between technology and spirituality and how virtual worship shapes our religious experiences. The study contends that virtual worship cannot substitute offline gatherings, but that online and offline spiritual practices can be used since they are vital in their different capacities. Furthermore, the study emphasises that while virtual worship experiences hold immense value as they allow flexibility and accessibility, they may lack some embodied aspects of worship, such as physical presence and shared space. Overall, this autoethnographic exploration provides valuable insights into how virtual worship experiences impact religious practice and suggests that digital technologies could complement physical worship spaces rather than replace them entirely. Thus, the study expands on the scholarship of digital culture and virtual worship by considering an autoethnographic experience of the phenomenon.