Walking in My Shoes: An Autoethnography of Techno-Spiritual Practices

Research Background and Issues

• What problems or challenges did the authors identify?
  The field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) has yet to sufficiently explore technologies related to religion/spirituality (R/S), referred to as "Techno-Spirituality." Additionally, there is a lack of in-depth exploration of how digital devices impact faith and emotions compared to traditional prayer practices. Understanding how believers use technology as a tool for spiritual growth in everyday contexts remains a challenge.

• Why is this issue important?
  With a significant global religious population, spiritual and religious experiences hold great importance for many people. Understanding technology's role in these experiences can aid in designing tools that support spiritual development, especially in the post-pandemic era, where religious activities are increasingly digitized.

• Research Motivation and Related Work
  Previous related studies have mainly focused on:

  • How collective religious practices are extended through mobile apps and online platforms (e.g., online worship, prayer sharing).
  • The impact of specific devices (e.g., Muse EEG headbands) on meditation.
    However, the complexity of the personalization and subjectivity of R/S practices makes designing technologies for religious contexts or documenting these practices more challenging. Furthermore, the issue of self-tracking in R/S practices has rarely been explored from a first-hand experiential perspective.

Solutions

• What methods or solutions did the authors propose?
  The authors adopted an autoethnographic approach, using the first author's in-depth documentation of their own Christian prayer practices to explore how digital devices (e.g., Muse EEG headbands) are embedded in prayer and influence mind-body-spirit experiences.

• What is innovative about this solution?

  • The first detailed recording and analysis of technology use in personal Christian prayer practices.
  • Integration of EEG devices with prayer to explore the relationship between biological signals (e.g., brainwaves, heart rate) and spiritual experiences.
  • Emphasis on a first-person approach, addressing the lack of subjective perspectives in existing research by leveraging the dual roles of researcher and believer.

• What are the implementation steps and key technologies used?

  1. Defining practices and configuring devices: Define key forms of Christian prayer (e.g., Bible reading, meditation) and use the Muse 2 EEG headband to monitor brain activity, combined with other materials.
  2. Data collection: Record non-consecutive prayer sessions over 8 months, reflecting and journaling after each 30-minute prayer session, including biometric data reports and the author's psychological feelings and reflections.
  3. Data analysis: Use affinity diagramming to group notes extracted from journals and device reports into key themes and subthemes.

Research Findings

• What specific findings were achieved?

  1. Physical experiences: Initial use of the headband caused discomfort and distraction, but over time, the device became integrated into personal prayer practices. The prayer practitioner became more sensitive to auditory and visual elements in the environment.
  2. Emotional responses: Core emotions included frustration (connection interruptions), anxiety (low score stress), relaxation, gratitude, and spiritual comfort. Device feedback data was not a sole measure of prayer depth but served as a trigger for self-reflection.
  3. Exploration of new practices: The first attempt at meditation using religious imagery expanded the expression of spiritual experiences.
  4. Connection between collective and individual practices: Although prayer is a private act, it often supports and connects with local church communities, reflecting the intertwining of individual and communal faith.

• What advantages does it have compared to existing solutions?

  • First-person approach: Provides deep insights into the practitioner's inner world, revealing unique experiences and complex emotions that traditional methods struggle to capture.
  • Interdisciplinary contribution to the intersection of R/S and HCI: For instance, exploring the compatibility of meditation and religious prayer using neuroscience devices.
  • Cultural and faith flexibility: The diverse backgrounds and beliefs of the author team add multiple perspectives to the complexity of spirituality.

• What were the experimental or evaluation results?
  The study demonstrated the influence of emotions and the environment on the integration of technology and faith, emphasizing the importance of user autonomy (e.g., options to disable sound effects) and physical comfort when designing spiritual technologies. Additionally, qualitative analysis highlighted the significance of multisensory elements (light, sound, touch) in faith experiences.

• Limitations and Future Directions

  • Limitations: The data is derived from a single author, making it difficult to generalize the findings to the broader experiences of different believers.
  • Future Directions:
    1. Conduct interviews with religious leaders to understand their perspectives on the intersection of religion and technology.
    2. Explore the design space of "Spiritual Informatics" to uncover more interactive spiritual environments.
    3. Investigate digital fasting to assess the potential impact of technology reduction on spiritual connection.

Through this in-depth autoethnographic exploration, the authors provide a significant reference for HCI research, particularly in designing spiritual technology tools that transcend traditional religious boundaries. The study emphasizes careful consideration and adjustment of visual, auditory, emotional, and physical factors. This approach not only addresses academic research gaps but also inspires ordinary believers to understand and reimagine the role of technology in prayer practices.