Fields of networked mind: Ritual consciousness and the factor of communitas in networked rites of compassion

Abstract

Ritual consciousness is an altered state of consciousness that transpires beyond the boundaries of the known and gives rise to a duration referred to as time out of time. This extraordinary duration encompasses three interrelated factors: digital as opposed to analogue conduct of time, tempo and communitas. Under specific formal conditions, these factors may emerge in the context of networked rituals and outside their traditional and earthbound religious or spiritual settings. In this article, the three factors are analysed in relation to the author’s networked rites on the Waterwheel platform. The rites are designed to explore ritual consciousness and produce prototype morphic fields of compassion, which are aimed at counteracting the prevalent narrative of violence. There is an emphasis on communitas, a liminal and nonhierarchical communal state of oneness that could generate compassion. Based on researches in anthropology, biogenetic structuralism, cognitive neuroscience and morphic resonance, communitas is metaphorically envisioned as the communion of non-local brains within a networked mind and morphic field. The article postulates that the virtual and organic hybridity of the rites involve the participants’ body, brain and fields of the mind in the explorations of ritual consciousness.

Sentient: A social media environment as a conscious living system

“…According to Karousos (2016, p. 292), unless we bring the love that technoetics brings to telematics, 'cyberspace remains another same space that intelligent man should conquer in order to preserve his title as the fittest of the fitting.' Sentient provides a framework for creative research of notions such as: 'networked mind' (Moore 2015) 'field of consciousness' (Ascott 2013, p.52), and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin's 'noosphere' (Teilhard de Chardin 1967), as well as the brain / mind, as explored together by new media artists, scientists and technologists (Trickett 2021). It will encourage exploration of transpersonal therapies, spiritual psychology, issues relating to identity, empathy, transformation, and more.…”

“…Our approach to live events is informed by the aesthetics and theories of cyberperformance (Abrahams & Jamieson 2014) and networked art and performance (Moore 2015). Hence, we are using UpStage (the newly updated platform) for our current experiments, as well as integrating live performance in the social media space.…”

Technoetic Aesthetics of Revelation and Transcendence: The Horse in the Mind

“…As part of my ongoing creative practice and research in art as a field of consciousness, and networked mind in networked rites, performance or environment (Moore, 2015(Moore, , 2018b, I have chosen to reflect on the interrelation between humanity and its symbolic rider that carries a cultural sample of humankind's consciousness to the cosmos. Due to the mass viewing, it was feasible to examine whether the event was registered on the Global Consciousness Project network (GCP) of REGs (Random Event Generators) (Exopolitik, 2015), which explores the interrelations of mind and technology, or mind over matter.…”

Quantum Anthropology: Man, Cultures, and Groups in a Quantum Perspective

“…Communitas is then a deep entanglement of individuals and the realm of potentiality. It can be envisioned as the communion of non-local brains within a networked mind (Moore, 2015). We can speak about ritual consciousness as an altered state of consciousness that transpires beyond the boundaries of the known.…”

“…With this emotional energy wave, a merging of the individual consciousnesses into one single common consciousness is enabled. Entanglement in ritual is not only the state of communitas in general, but also the observations made by the networked participants of a ritual (Moore, 2015).…”