Category: Research

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday outlined his vision for the future of the social media giant, formalising the company’s focus on the metaverse.

In a presentation at the company’s annual Connect conference, Zuckerberg announced the company is rebranding as Meta and detailed how his company aims to build a new version of the internet.

“We believe the metaverse will be the successor to the mobile internet, we’ll be able to feel present – like we’re right there with people no matter how far apart we actually are,” he said.

Metaverse

The metaverse is where the physical and digital worlds come together. It is a space where digital representations of people – avatars – interact at work and play, meeting in their office, going to concerts and even trying on clothes.

At the centre of this universe will be virtual reality, a digital world that you can already enter via Facebook’s Oculus VR headsets. It will also include augmented reality, a sort of step back from VR where elements of the digital world are layered on top of reality – think Pokémon Go or Facebook’s recent smart glasses tie-up with Ray-Ban.

My understanding:

Metaverse is an immersive world based on digital technology. Through its concept, I believe it can add more interactive ideas in my project.

Qualitative data

The Chinese Buddhist Association issued the “Notice on the cessation of related activities during the epidemic” on 30 January 2020.

1. It should be closed but not opened. The monasteries and colleges should be closed to the public, the gates should be closed, and they should be repaired for self-sustainment, and each should chant sutras to pray for all beings.
2. It is advised to disperse and not to gather. All group activities such as pujas should be suspended. For monasteries with more monks or colleges with more monks, their morning and evening homework, fasting for the class, half-month karma, etc., can be adjusted appropriately according to the actual local conditions, and must be taken seriously. Measures, with effective prevention and control as the bottom line.
3. It should be static and not moving. Monks in monasteries and colleges should not go out to visit and study during the epidemic. Those who have left the temple or school must obey the local arrangements, and those who have returned to their places of residence must be isolated and observed by themselves within the time limit.
4. It is appropriate to study but not to relaxing. During this period, as a Buddha, you should settle your mind and body, maintain concentration, study the scriptures diligently, practice diligently, don’t let go, don’t slack off.

When I did an interview with a middle-aged woman, she told me her concerns: She is a housewife and usually goes to the temple every day to burn incense and worship Buddha for the whole family. During the epidemic, the temples are closed one after another. She feels that she has lost the sense of security in reality and faith, so she is very unaccustomed and anxious.

I realize now in China, many people are facing this situation. In China, almost all the cities have their temples.

According to a report from Phoenix Expo, as religion and folk beliefs are vaguely defined in China, it is difficult to have a consistent answer. But according to a survey conducted by Horizon early in 2014, 120 million people over the age of 16 in China claim that they do not believe in a specific religion but believe in the existence of gods, Buddhas, or ghosts. 141 million believe in the god of wealth, 145 million believe in Feng Shui, and 206 million recognize their ancestors and gods exist. Not to mention that there is a custom of going to temples to worship Buddha on the first and fifteenth day of the new year.

So I started to pay attention to issues related to temples under the epidemic.

In the digital age, how to strengthen self cultural identity through the introduction of a placebo that challenges combining with the traditional esoteric elements.

In my research question, the words ‘esoteric elements’ needs to be furder defined, so I attempt to describe them from three aspects:

– superstitious objects

 – divination

 – ritual

Based on these three descriptions, I tried to design three different questionnaires and want to see the results to make my final definition.

Superstitious object

1. What is your age?
2. Do you believe in the doom of your natal year?
3. Do you believe that bad luck/doom in the natal year can be eliminated by wearing/containing particular objects?
4. Did you receive any related gifts in your natal year? How did you receive it?
5. What do you think after receiving this kind of gift?
6. Have you ever received a gift with mystery or inheritance from your elders? (eg. family heirloom)
7. What is the reason you received it?
8. Do you believe in the function of such items?
9. Do you believe in this kind of superstition and particularity?
10. Will you give such gifts to peers or younger generations or pass them on forever In the future?
11. Please describe the reason.
12. Do you buy the so-called superstitious items in the local area when you go to other places or travel? (Ping An Amulet, Amulet, etc.)
13. What is the reason?

Divination

1. What is your age?
2. Do you believe in fortune telling?
3. Do you usually tell fortune-telling or divination regularly?
4. Under what circumstances would you normally want to test?
5. What kind of divination do you prefer? (Horoscope, Taoist Metaphysical, tarot cards, etc.)
6. What question do you usually want for divination?
7. Do you think the result of divination is accurate?
8. Will you decide the course of action based on the results of divination?
9. To what extent will the results of divination affect your life?
10. Will you do fortune-telling for others?

“ Young people’s loneliness, depression, and desire to find sustenance are the same as those of middle-aged and elderly people who want to worship Buddha and chant sutras. Those unavoidable anxiety in life require different forms of comfort. Perhaps chaos can overcome reality to a certain extent, but chaos is only a window of occasional escape.

The epidemic has hit the world hard, the economy is down, and news of layoffs and salary cuts have been spread from time to time. In order to find certainty from many uncertainties, metaphysics is receiving attention.

Is this mysterious power based on cultural identity universally applicable to the 21st century? Is the placebo effect of the irrational and subjective mysterious force still continuing or trending to become more popular? ”

The part in bold is the purpose of my survey, and I want to get the answer through the questionnaire.

Name: 

Meimei

Description:

Film music producer in the US

Viewpoint：

She thought such behavior was ridiculous and unscientific, but at the same time she thought it was interesting and fun, wanted to know more about such stories, and thought they had a certain practical value.

Chinese-dragon
Russia-bear
Indonesia—Garuda
South Korea/North Korea—Hibiscus
Mongolia—Wolf and White Deer
Singapore—Lion
Malaysia—Malay Tiger
Thailand—Dapeng
Laos—Asian Elephant
Myanmar—Holy Lion
Sri Lanka—Lion
Bangladesh—water lily
India—Lion Rock Carving
Nepal—Scalper
Uzbekistan—Phoenix
Kazakhstan — Pegasus
Kyrgyzstan—Eagle
Turkmenistan—Alhatier Golden Horse
Syria, Egypt, Libya-Saladin Condor
Sudan—Desert Heron Eagle
Oman-Arab Knife
Lebanon—Cedar
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain — Date Palm
UAE, Kuwait—Falcon
Yemen—Eagle
Rome—Wolf

【Fujian culture】

The Fujianese custom of tattooing with snake totem

In the three dynasties of the ancient times, there were at least seven independent indigenous tribes living in Fujian, which were called “Seven Mins” in ancient literature. At the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, Chu destroyed the Yue Kingdom, and some Yue people escaped into Fujian. The Fujian natives of this period were called “Min Yue” in history. They liked to live by the water, were accustomed to water buckets, and were good at using boats. The most important custom was Snakes are totems, broken hair tattoos, and primitive sorcery is popular. When interpreting the word “Min” in “Shuowen Jiezi”, it said: “Min, Southeast Vietnam, snake species.” The so-called “snake species” means that the Minyue people took snakes as their ancestors, reflecting their totem worship of snakes. For a long time, this kind of worship has always existed among the descendants of the Minyue ethnic group. For example, Minhou Danmin still “professed snake species” until the end of Qing Dynasty, and did not shy away from it. They painted the image of snakes in the palaces and temples, and offered sacrifices regularly. Put a snake on the ship, named “Wooden Dragon”, and pray for the snake to protect the boat safely. If you see the snake leaving the ship, you think it is an ominous omen. In the Qing dynasty, the women of Danmin in Fuzhou had a serpentine silver hairpin with their heads high in their hair, which also meant not to forget the ancestor.

I plan to use the worship of snakes in Fujian’s animal totems as a starting point to explore a new form of placebo for young people and elders.

From the demographic above, it indicates that in recent ten years, more and more Chinese people are living overseas. Compared with the original in 2010, it has grown by a quarter in 2020, which reaches 49.33 million. In terms of region, no matter it is in Asia, America, Europe, Oceania, or Africa, they all have a significant increase in the number of Chinese people overseas.

Rituals help us mark the most important moments in our lives, they teach us how to love, how to let go, and how to find where we belong.

Many of us are grieving the rituals of life we once enjoyed. The shared emotional experiences around traditions associated with loss, celebration, ceremony and routine help bind us together within our families and friends, work, local communities, and wider society.

– In the circle of life, rituals help us understand the human experience.

– As our societies evolve faster than ever, age-old rituals adapt to fit our modern lives.

– Why we still choose to come together for ceremonies in vast number.

– How ritual gatherings keep communities alive and help us reinforce our own identity by joining the crowd.