Latest / The Observable Unknown
Mailbag XLIII: Are We Building New Temples Online? | Digital Mythology, Memes, Fandoms, Conspiracy Culture & the Architecture of Meaning
Are memes becoming a new form of mythology?
Can online fandoms function like communities organized around sacred stories?
Why do conspiracy theories so often develop symbols, heroes, villains, secret knowledge, initiation rituals, apostates, and forbidden interpretations?
And what happens when the stories people create online begin shaping the people who created them?
In MAILBAG XLIII of The Observable Unknown, Dr. Juan Carlos Rey responds to listener Reginald P., who asks:
“When you described myth as sacred architecture, I thought of the digital myths my students build online: fandoms…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.