Mediated spirituality: Experience of the numinous through and in contemporary media

Summary: Communication forms have long been acknowledged as essential to both the creation and dissemination of religion and spirituality. In recent years, however, the Internet has vastly outstripped the scope and spread of previous communication media within the western world. Interestingly, this medium has not just facilitated the promulgation of extant religious beliefs, but has also given rise to a variety of alternative spiritualities. Such spiritualities are not only dependant upon the Internet as a mode of communication with other like-minded individuals, but are also engaging with the content of various media as the focus of their spirituality. This paper seeks discuss a selection of these new spiritualities in order to demonstrate the complexities of communication within the context of digitally informed contemporary alternative spiritualities. Various Paganisms and aspects of the Otherkin Community will be viewed in order to discern not just how these communities communicate, but more particularly with what entities and through what means.