{"product_id":"the-avatar-faculty-jeffrey-g-snodgrass-9780520384361","title":"The Avatar Faculty: Ecstatic Transformations in Religion and Video Games Volume 16","description":"\u003ci\u003eThe Avatar Faculty\u003c\/i\u003e 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 \u003ci\u003eekstasis\u003c\/i\u003e, 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 improve health and well-being.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Jeffrey G. Snodgrass\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0520384369\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780520384361\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University of California Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 01\/10\/2023\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 280\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.80lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.90h x 5.90w x 0.70d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eChoice\u003c\/i\u003e 12\/01\/2023","brand":"Jeffrey G. Snodgrass","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":44056235376895,"sku":"9780520384361","price":29.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_d62b4864-9684-4c9b-bd7d-ecb474a7b30c.jpg?v=1685040239","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-avatar-faculty-jeffrey-g-snodgrass-9780520384361","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}