Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and Religion

This chapter seeks to survey the current landscape of religious uses of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) applications and begin to answer the following question: In light of relevant AR/VR research to date, what impact might religious uses of AR/VR have in relation to three essential features of religion—myth, ritual, and faith? Surveyed examples of AR/VR range from immersive experiences of holy sites and objects (including reconstructed ones), prayer and meditation, sacred texts and objects, film and storytelling, and social interaction. Drawing on general AR/VR research that shows how immersive experiences impact human beliefs and behavior, the author suggests a number of possible impacts the technology could have on religious experience and raises additional questions that stakeholders—from developers to religious scholars to religious devotees—can begin to answer as the technology becomes more widely available.