Scholarly Research
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2022
Abstract
This essay outlines topics for further design research by posing questions about the way emerging technologies, particularly social media and extended reality, might provide new affordances for deeper spiritual consciousness. Drawing on Hegel’s concept of Spirit, as well as the Jewish mystical tradition, this essay explores how discourse, manifested through community and culture, can be imagined as the mind of God. From this foundation, we explore speculative design scenarios for the development of sacred spaces in augmented and extended reality, in particular synagogues, as we consider the prototype of the synagogue, which was once situated on the temple mount in Jerusalem. We conclude with the question of whether it is possible to rebuild the so-called Third Temple in augmented or extended reality, while also respecting the existing structures on the site.
Recommended Citation
Gonsher, Ian, "The Emergence of Spirit in Extended Reality and the Speculative Synagogue" (2022). Scholarly Research. 4.
https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/hpss_scholarlyresearch/4