Golden Shower Tree: Harbin Hot Springs itself has emerged out of the West, of California, of Philosophical & Spiritual Traditions, Avatars

Harbin ethnography:


... in what ways might new forms of ethnography emerge in relation to such developments, vis-a-vis the virtual and the actual?

Harbin Hot Springs itself, both actual and virtual, especially since 1972 when Ishvara bought the property, has emerged out of the context of Western traditions, of California, of philosophical and spiritual traditions of both West, East and all over (hippies went all over the place and explored a lot of spiritual traditions – e.g. the Goa Hippy Tribe), all of which, as narratives, give form to kinds of virtuality, as well. Prehistories of ways in which each of these trajectories informs Harbin virtuality, for individuals and groups, include, significantly, primarily hippie explorations of the spiritual on Harbin property. Multiply, 'New Age,' spiritual traditions, explored anew at Harbin, give form to new readings of the concept of avatar, which in Second Life and Open Simulator, refers to the movable figure displayed in virtual reality graphics, which represents end user who can be anywhere in the world with broadband internet access, but which, in Hindu and Buddhist traditions, is a representation of a deity, or released soul in bodily form (Apple Dictionary 2007, v. 2.0.3), which is a spiritual teacher, often depicted in the plastic arts such as painting and sculpture. Harbin Hot Springs has explored avatar-ness in so many varied hippie-informed ways since the 1960s. Another key research question includes exploring ways in which virtual Harbin avatars articulate with New Age spiritual tradition-informed avatars. Harbin residents and visitors may explore this in fantastical and wondrous ways.

During the history of my actual Harbin Hot Springs' fieldwork thus far, I have found actual Harbin to be a kind of virtual world itself, especially vis-a-vis its pools, as well as its hippy-informed thinking and ways of life. ...











(http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/2010/08/golden-shower-tree-harbin-hot-springs.html - August 16, 2010)