Tamlyn Ryan
tr519@york.ac.uk. Department of Sociology, University of York
Background: In recent years, psychic practitioners have been able to take full advantage of the opportunities afforded by the development of the internet. Indeed, the internet appears to have been particularly instrumental in facilitating the growth in the number of websites offering psychic services such as Tarot card readings and clairvoyance. However, there appears to be very little sociological analysis of the nature and consumption of these psychic services, particularly those available on the web, or indeed the spiritual orientations of these kinds of services.
Aim: This research, currently in its early stages, examines the ways in which the internet is used for the purpose of psychic readings. How people employ internet technologies to locate and consume psychic readings is explored alongside the ways in which psychic practitioners themselves utilise the web to promote and offer their services. How the internet facilitates the spiritual orientation of psychic readings within the context of psychic-spiritual virtual communities will also be investigated, specifically in regards to online ‘psychic development circles’. In analyzing the various ways people utilise internet technologies for psychic readings this research contributes to the appreciation of the diverse ways people seek spiritual resources from the internet. This study will also contribute to research concerning the psychological study of the production of discourse around contestable knowledge claims.
Methods: To gain a deeper understanding of psychic readings via the internet, I will be using a combination of qualitative methods. These will include participant observation in online ‘psychic development circles’, web-based interviews and solicited diaries. Data will be analyzed using ethnomethodologically informed methods such as computer-mediated discourse analysis and discursive psychology. By employing computer-mediated discourse analysis, this research will also provide a useful contribution to the wider interdisciplinary study of computer-mediated communication.
