Anthropology of Divination: Thai Digital Natives’ Everyday-life Divinatory Experiences via Social Media Platforms

Abstract

This research paper has three main objectives: 1) to explore comparatively the experiences related to astrological and divinatory service with magical belief in the digital natives’ everyday- life in Bangkok and Nakhon Phanom; 2) To analyze and understand importance and influence of values and meanings of astrology, divination and magical beliefs as reflected upon the digital natives living in Bangkok and Nakhon Phanom; 3) To study and examine how digital technology influences to the patterns of astrological and divinatory service. The research methods applied quantitative and qualitative approaches with using Anthropology of Divination as primary conceptual framework to conceptualize the contemporary meanings, roles, and functions of divination and the everyday-life beliefs as experienced by the university students. The research interlocutors are resided in Bangkok and Nakhon Phanom, which represent to urban and rural cultural areas respectively. The interlocutors share common socio-cultural values as digital natives due to their characteristics, behaviors and future viewpoints.  Although social media is part of the students’ everyday life activities, they participate to various forms of online divination while also following a range of magical belief. The quantitative data are deriving from 120 online surveys via Google Form. The quantitative data are conducted by in-depth interviews with 6 interviewees. They experience and perceive various meanings of divination, astrology, witchcraft, and other religious practices via online platforms. The research findings can support the previous scholars’ argument saying that the re-enchantment of religious traditions, especially divinations and witchcrafts, have not faded out from the modern society. Such traditional practices are in fact increasing quantitively and qualitatively in diverse patterns. Online divinations, in particular, fulfill the everyday-life desires of urban and rural digital natives. This paper argues that digital technology, especially the social media not only functioning as mediating role connecting individuals within a virtual social network but also innovating certain forms of beliefs that fulfilling needs and expectations of new digital natives. Urban and rural based digital natives also seek for particular type of religious service: concrete, understandable and flexible. Such digital emerging divinatory service can fulfil individuals’ needs of security, safety, privacy and self-control. Last but not least, divinatory technology delivers various useful information, which offer directions and solutions to individuals solving their everyday-life problems.