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Deana Weibel

Grand Valley State University, Anthropology, Faculty Member

Grand Valley State University, Iris: Integrative, Religious and Intercultural Studies, Faculty Member

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Deana L. Weibel is a jointly appointed Professor in the Anthropology Department and in the Religious Studies Program at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan. Weibel's early research focused on pilgrimage and sacred spaces, particularly in Rocamadour, France, and looked into perceptions of location in ritual, concepts of "energy" as they related to pilgrimage destinations, and the intentionally syncretic belief systems of "religious creatives". Her ethnographic fieldwork relating to space exploration looks into how religious and scientific ways of perceiving the universe influence each other and has taken her to many “space sites” around the country, including the Kennedy Space Center, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Mojave Air and Space Port, as well as the Vatican Observatory near Rome, Italy. Her Twitter handle is ethnoethereal and she is a co-organizer of Roger That!: A Celebration of Space Exploration in Honor of Roger B. Chaffee, held each February in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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University of Houston

Julie A Robinson

NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Australian National University

Nathan Albright

Norwich University

Haris A Durrani

Columbia University Law School

Jeffrey M. Bradshaw

Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC)

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Books by Deana Weibel

WHAT DO WE NEED TO ASK BEFORE SETTLING SPACE? Forthcoming in the Journal of the British Interplanetary Society

We advocate for a "humanitarian review" of space settlement proposals, which takes seriously the ... more We advocate for a "humanitarian review" of space settlement proposals, which takes seriously the various cultural and ethical questions that space settlement raises. As a preview of how such a review might be conducted, we discuss five rationales or objectives for space settlement (for long-term human survival; for resources; for scientific knowledge; for adventure; and for spiritual insights). We argue that none of these rationales escapes the need for thorough scrutiny, because each rationale raises challenging and distinctive cultural and ethical questions during all phases of the settlement process. Of particular relevance here are questions concerning who gets to participate in settling space as well as who benefits from the endeavor. Thus, regardless of our rationale for settling space, we will not do so ethically unless we continually subject our decision-making to critical scrutiny, not only on Earth during the planning phase, but also while settlers are intransit and throughout the settlement's founding and growth.

Medieval "Miracle of Equilibrium" or Contemporary Shrine of "Rock- Hard Faith"?: The Role of Digital Media in Guiding Visitors' Experiences of Rocamadour, France

Anthropological Perspectives on the Religious Uses of Mobile Apps, 2019

"Up In God's Great Cathedral": Evangelism, Astronauts, and the Seductiveness of Outer Space

Human spaceflight has only been a possibility for the last half century or so, since the governme... more Human spaceflight has only been a possibility for the last half century or so, since the governments of the United States and the Soviet Union first sent unoccupied rockets, then animals, then, finally, human beings up past the earth's atmosphere and into outer space. Before technology reached the point of making this possible, however, people dreamed about what existed above and beyond our planet. Gods and goddesses were thought to occupy mountaintops and clouds, sacred objects descended like lightning bolts from above, and the religious of many societies expected an afterlife inside the cosmic vault of heavenly blue. Within Western culture, space is often regarded with a mixture of scientific curiosity and religious interest. Scientists may describe the character of the universe and its stars and planets, rendering them natural and common, but the sky and its various orbs and spheres retain their hold on the human imagination as a place of supernatural wonder and mystery. Traveling into outer space, then, is a way of traveling into sacred space. This is not to say, however, that all space travel is pilgrimage or that all astronauts are pilgrims. Human spaceflight historically has been motivated by a wide variety of concerns. In the tellingly titled "Motivations for space exploration, " sociologist William Sims Bainbridge argues that the 16 "classical" goals of the "social movement" of exploring space were earth observation; communications advances; technological spin-offs; the exploitation of certain conditions limited to space (like weightlessness) for experiments; the desire for new energy sources for earth; commercial-economic benefits; employment; excitement; as-yet-unforeseen long-range paybacks; gains in general science, astronomy and physics; discoveries about the origins of the earth and the universe; military advantages; nationalism; international cooperation; the kind of "common cause" that might bring about world peace; and solutions to overpopulation (Bainbridge 2009: 515-518).

The Seductions of Pilgrimage: Sacred Journeys Afar and Astray in the Western Religious Tradition

by Michael Di Giovine, Jas Elsner, Simon Coleman, Jens Kreinath, and Deana Weibel

The Seductions of Pilgrimage explores the simultaneously attractive and repellent, beguiling and ... more The Seductions of Pilgrimage explores the simultaneously attractive and repellent, beguiling and alluring forms of seduction in pilgrimage. It focuses on the varied discursive, imaginative, and practical mechanisms of seduction that draw individual pilgrims to a pilgrimage site; the objects, places, and paradigms that pilgrims leave behind as they embark on their hyper-meaningful travel experience; and the often unforeseen elements that lead pilgrims off their desired course. Presenting the first comprehensive study of the role of seduction on individual pilgrims in the study of pilgrimage and tourism, it will appeal to scholars of anthropology, cultural geography, tourism, heritage, and religious studies.

Missionary Impositions: Conversion, Resistance, and Other Challenges to Objectivity in Religious Ethnography

In this collection of essays, anthropologists of religion examine the special challenges they fac... more In this collection of essays, anthropologists of religion examine the special challenges they face when studying populations that proselytize. Conducting fieldwork among these groups may involve attending services, meditating, praying, and making pilgrimages. Anthropologists participating in such research may unwittingly give the impression that their interest is more personal than professional, and inadvertently encourage missionaries to impose conversion upon them. Moreover, anthropologists’ attitudes about religion, belief, and faith, as well as their response to conversion pressures, may interfere with their objectivity and cause them to impose their own understandings on the missionaries. Although anthropologists have extensively and fruitfully examined the role of identity in research—particularly gender and ethnic identity—religious identity, which is more fluid and changeable, has been relatively neglected. This volume explores the role of religious identity in fieldwork by examining how researchers respond to participation in religious activities and to the ministrations of missionaries, both academically and personally. Including essays by anthropologists studying the proselytizing religions of Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, as well as other religions, this volume provides a range of responses to the question of how anthropologists should approach the gap between belief and disbelief when missionary zeal imposes its interpretations on anthropological curiosity.

Papers by Deana Weibel

“Not quite the plan, but here we are”: NASA ritual and the reintegration of the Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts

The Space Review, 2024

On September 22, 2024, a strange rupture in the normal activities of the International Space Stat... more On September 22, 2024, a strange rupture in the normal activities of the International Space Station (ISS) and its constantly changing crew came to an official close with a traditional “change of command ceremony.” (Dinner 2024) The circumstances leading to this ceremony, however, were anything but traditional. The Expedition 71 crew had arrived on April 6, 2024, and Oleg Kononenko took his place as the ISS commander. Exactly two months later, on June 6, 2024, the Boeing Crew Flight Test (CFT) brought veteran astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore to the ISS for what was supposed to be an eight-day mission. When certain issues with the Starliner capsule “Calypso” became apparent, NASA, after some deliberation, decided to send the spacecraft back to Earth without its passengers. This left Williams and Wilmore as unexpected, un-planned-for crew, both part of and apart from, Expedition 71.

The "Igorrote Village" at the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, 1909: Bontok Performers and their American Showman

Igorot by Heart: Keynotes and Selections of a Generation, John Dyte et al (eds.) Igorot Global Organization, 2012

This is a proof version, edited by the authors but not by the publication's editor.

The Energy We Call the Goddess: The Religious Creativist Use of a Roman Catholic Shrine

Maria, 2002

"The New Age and the old world: the interpretation and use of European shrines by 'Religious Creatives'

Maria, 2002

The sacred Moon: Navigating diverse cultural beliefs in lunar missions

The Space Review, 2024

Society for the Anthropology of Religion

Anthropology News, Feb 1, 2007

The Space Review Honoring and dishonoring the dead in outer space: How a Virgin Galactic spaceflight sparked a scandal in anthropology

The Space Review, 2023

In September 2023, a Virgin Galactic spaceflight led by South African billionaire Timothy Nash s... more In September 2023, a Virgin Galactic spaceflight led by South African billionaire Timothy Nash sparked controversy in the world of anthropology. Nash's journey to the edge of space aboard the VSS Unity spacecraft included two significant biological and historical fragments: the thumb bone of a Homo naledi and a collarbone fragment of an Australopithecus sediba, both potential ancestral species to modern humans. These fossil specimens were chosen by paleoanthropologist Dr. Lee Berger, known for his penchant for attention. While the decision to take these hominin fossils into space raised ethical concerns among anthropologists, it also shed light on the age-old human practice of imbuing significance into objects through their association with sacred or transformative experiences. The act was seen as a symbolic fusion of the past and the future, representing humanity's appreciation for its ancient relatives. However, it raised questions about respecting the prehistoric dead and the appropriation of their remains, highlighting the need for a more enlightened approach to honoring our distant ancestors as we explore space.

The Space Review Cultural considerations in space exploration Insights for NASA’s Artemis 2 mission

The Space Review, 2023

Anthropology Perspectives on Pilgrimage

by Deana Weibel and Michael Di Giovine

Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Pilgrimage: Historical, Current and Future Directions (edited by Heather Warfield), 2023

Astronauts as Chosen People

Religion and Outer Space, 2023

Sherpas on the Moon - Uncorrected Proof

Oxford University Press eBooks, Mar 24, 2023

The seductions of pilgrimage: sacred journeys afar and astray in the western religious tradition

Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, 2017

Chapter 6. A Savage at the Wedding and the Skeletons in My Closet: My Great-Grandfather, “Igorotte Villages,” and the Ethnological Expositions of the 1900s

Anthropology's Changing Terms of Engagement

What do we need to ask before settling space

Journal of the British Interplanetary Society, Apr 1, 2021

We advocate for a &quot;humanitarian review&quot; of space settlement proposals, which ta... more We advocate for a &quot;humanitarian review&quot; of space settlement proposals, which takes seriously the various cultural and ethical questions that space settlement raises. As a preview of how such a review might be conducted, we discuss five rationales or objectives for space settlement (for long-term human survival; for resources; for scientific knowledge; for adventure; and for spiritual insights). We argue that none of these rationales escapes the need for thorough scrutiny, because each rationale raises challenging and distinctive cultural and ethical questions during all phases of the settlement process. Of particular relevance here are questions concerning who gets to participate in settling space as well as who benefits from the endeavor. Thus, regardless of our rationale for settling space, we will not do so ethically unless we continually subject our decision-making to critical scrutiny, not only on Earth during the planning phase, but also while settlers are in-transit and throughout the settlement&#39;s founding and growth.

Boozy Chimps in Orbit and intoxicating Saturns: Where space pop meets Tiki culture

The Space Review, 2022

WHAT DO WE NEED TO ASK BEFORE SETTLING SPACE? Forthcoming in the Journal of the British Interplanetary Society

We advocate for a "humanitarian review" of space settlement proposals, which takes seriously the ... more We advocate for a "humanitarian review" of space settlement proposals, which takes seriously the various cultural and ethical questions that space settlement raises. As a preview of how such a review might be conducted, we discuss five rationales or objectives for space settlement (for long-term human survival; for resources; for scientific knowledge; for adventure; and for spiritual insights). We argue that none of these rationales escapes the need for thorough scrutiny, because each rationale raises challenging and distinctive cultural and ethical questions during all phases of the settlement process. Of particular relevance here are questions concerning who gets to participate in settling space as well as who benefits from the endeavor. Thus, regardless of our rationale for settling space, we will not do so ethically unless we continually subject our decision-making to critical scrutiny, not only on Earth during the planning phase, but also while settlers are intransit and throughout the settlement's founding and growth.

Medieval "Miracle of Equilibrium" or Contemporary Shrine of "Rock- Hard Faith"?: The Role of Digital Media in Guiding Visitors' Experiences of Rocamadour, France

Anthropological Perspectives on the Religious Uses of Mobile Apps, 2019

"Up In God's Great Cathedral": Evangelism, Astronauts, and the Seductiveness of Outer Space

Human spaceflight has only been a possibility for the last half century or so, since the governme... more Human spaceflight has only been a possibility for the last half century or so, since the governments of the United States and the Soviet Union first sent unoccupied rockets, then animals, then, finally, human beings up past the earth's atmosphere and into outer space. Before technology reached the point of making this possible, however, people dreamed about what existed above and beyond our planet. Gods and goddesses were thought to occupy mountaintops and clouds, sacred objects descended like lightning bolts from above, and the religious of many societies expected an afterlife inside the cosmic vault of heavenly blue. Within Western culture, space is often regarded with a mixture of scientific curiosity and religious interest. Scientists may describe the character of the universe and its stars and planets, rendering them natural and common, but the sky and its various orbs and spheres retain their hold on the human imagination as a place of supernatural wonder and mystery. Traveling into outer space, then, is a way of traveling into sacred space. This is not to say, however, that all space travel is pilgrimage or that all astronauts are pilgrims. Human spaceflight historically has been motivated by a wide variety of concerns. In the tellingly titled "Motivations for space exploration, " sociologist William Sims Bainbridge argues that the 16 "classical" goals of the "social movement" of exploring space were earth observation; communications advances; technological spin-offs; the exploitation of certain conditions limited to space (like weightlessness) for experiments; the desire for new energy sources for earth; commercial-economic benefits; employment; excitement; as-yet-unforeseen long-range paybacks; gains in general science, astronomy and physics; discoveries about the origins of the earth and the universe; military advantages; nationalism; international cooperation; the kind of "common cause" that might bring about world peace; and solutions to overpopulation (Bainbridge 2009: 515-518).

The Seductions of Pilgrimage: Sacred Journeys Afar and Astray in the Western Religious Tradition

by Michael Di Giovine, Jas Elsner, Simon Coleman, Jens Kreinath, and Deana Weibel

The Seductions of Pilgrimage explores the simultaneously attractive and repellent, beguiling and ... more The Seductions of Pilgrimage explores the simultaneously attractive and repellent, beguiling and alluring forms of seduction in pilgrimage. It focuses on the varied discursive, imaginative, and practical mechanisms of seduction that draw individual pilgrims to a pilgrimage site; the objects, places, and paradigms that pilgrims leave behind as they embark on their hyper-meaningful travel experience; and the often unforeseen elements that lead pilgrims off their desired course. Presenting the first comprehensive study of the role of seduction on individual pilgrims in the study of pilgrimage and tourism, it will appeal to scholars of anthropology, cultural geography, tourism, heritage, and religious studies.

Missionary Impositions: Conversion, Resistance, and Other Challenges to Objectivity in Religious Ethnography

In this collection of essays, anthropologists of religion examine the special challenges they fac... more In this collection of essays, anthropologists of religion examine the special challenges they face when studying populations that proselytize. Conducting fieldwork among these groups may involve attending services, meditating, praying, and making pilgrimages. Anthropologists participating in such research may unwittingly give the impression that their interest is more personal than professional, and inadvertently encourage missionaries to impose conversion upon them. Moreover, anthropologists’ attitudes about religion, belief, and faith, as well as their response to conversion pressures, may interfere with their objectivity and cause them to impose their own understandings on the missionaries. Although anthropologists have extensively and fruitfully examined the role of identity in research—particularly gender and ethnic identity—religious identity, which is more fluid and changeable, has been relatively neglected. This volume explores the role of religious identity in fieldwork by examining how researchers respond to participation in religious activities and to the ministrations of missionaries, both academically and personally. Including essays by anthropologists studying the proselytizing religions of Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, as well as other religions, this volume provides a range of responses to the question of how anthropologists should approach the gap between belief and disbelief when missionary zeal imposes its interpretations on anthropological curiosity.

“Not quite the plan, but here we are”: NASA ritual and the reintegration of the Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts

The Space Review, 2024

On September 22, 2024, a strange rupture in the normal activities of the International Space Stat... more On September 22, 2024, a strange rupture in the normal activities of the International Space Station (ISS) and its constantly changing crew came to an official close with a traditional “change of command ceremony.” (Dinner 2024) The circumstances leading to this ceremony, however, were anything but traditional. The Expedition 71 crew had arrived on April 6, 2024, and Oleg Kononenko took his place as the ISS commander. Exactly two months later, on June 6, 2024, the Boeing Crew Flight Test (CFT) brought veteran astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore to the ISS for what was supposed to be an eight-day mission. When certain issues with the Starliner capsule “Calypso” became apparent, NASA, after some deliberation, decided to send the spacecraft back to Earth without its passengers. This left Williams and Wilmore as unexpected, un-planned-for crew, both part of and apart from, Expedition 71.

The "Igorrote Village" at the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, 1909: Bontok Performers and their American Showman

Igorot by Heart: Keynotes and Selections of a Generation, John Dyte et al (eds.) Igorot Global Organization, 2012

This is a proof version, edited by the authors but not by the publication's editor.

The Energy We Call the Goddess: The Religious Creativist Use of a Roman Catholic Shrine

Maria, 2002

"The New Age and the old world: the interpretation and use of European shrines by 'Religious Creatives'

Maria, 2002

The sacred Moon: Navigating diverse cultural beliefs in lunar missions

The Space Review, 2024

Society for the Anthropology of Religion

Anthropology News, Feb 1, 2007

The Space Review Honoring and dishonoring the dead in outer space: How a Virgin Galactic spaceflight sparked a scandal in anthropology

The Space Review, 2023

In September 2023, a Virgin Galactic spaceflight led by South African billionaire Timothy Nash s... more In September 2023, a Virgin Galactic spaceflight led by South African billionaire Timothy Nash sparked controversy in the world of anthropology. Nash's journey to the edge of space aboard the VSS Unity spacecraft included two significant biological and historical fragments: the thumb bone of a Homo naledi and a collarbone fragment of an Australopithecus sediba, both potential ancestral species to modern humans. These fossil specimens were chosen by paleoanthropologist Dr. Lee Berger, known for his penchant for attention. While the decision to take these hominin fossils into space raised ethical concerns among anthropologists, it also shed light on the age-old human practice of imbuing significance into objects through their association with sacred or transformative experiences. The act was seen as a symbolic fusion of the past and the future, representing humanity's appreciation for its ancient relatives. However, it raised questions about respecting the prehistoric dead and the appropriation of their remains, highlighting the need for a more enlightened approach to honoring our distant ancestors as we explore space.

The Space Review Cultural considerations in space exploration Insights for NASA’s Artemis 2 mission

The Space Review, 2023

Anthropology Perspectives on Pilgrimage

by Deana Weibel and Michael Di Giovine

Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Pilgrimage: Historical, Current and Future Directions (edited by Heather Warfield), 2023

Astronauts as Chosen People

Religion and Outer Space, 2023

Sherpas on the Moon - Uncorrected Proof

Oxford University Press eBooks, Mar 24, 2023

The seductions of pilgrimage: sacred journeys afar and astray in the western religious tradition

Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, 2017

Chapter 6. A Savage at the Wedding and the Skeletons in My Closet: My Great-Grandfather, “Igorotte Villages,” and the Ethnological Expositions of the 1900s

Anthropology's Changing Terms of Engagement

What do we need to ask before settling space

Journal of the British Interplanetary Society, Apr 1, 2021

We advocate for a &quot;humanitarian review&quot; of space settlement proposals, which ta... more We advocate for a &quot;humanitarian review&quot; of space settlement proposals, which takes seriously the various cultural and ethical questions that space settlement raises. As a preview of how such a review might be conducted, we discuss five rationales or objectives for space settlement (for long-term human survival; for resources; for scientific knowledge; for adventure; and for spiritual insights). We argue that none of these rationales escapes the need for thorough scrutiny, because each rationale raises challenging and distinctive cultural and ethical questions during all phases of the settlement process. Of particular relevance here are questions concerning who gets to participate in settling space as well as who benefits from the endeavor. Thus, regardless of our rationale for settling space, we will not do so ethically unless we continually subject our decision-making to critical scrutiny, not only on Earth during the planning phase, but also while settlers are in-transit and throughout the settlement&#39;s founding and growth.

Boozy Chimps in Orbit and intoxicating Saturns: Where space pop meets Tiki culture

The Space Review, 2022

Up In God's Great Cathedral": Evangelism, Astronauts, and the Seductiveness of Outer Space

Medieval “Miracle of Equilibrium” or Contemporary Shrine of “Rock-Hard Faith”?: The Role of Digital Media in Guiding Visitors’ Experiences of Rocamadour, France

Anthropological Perspectives on the Religious Uses of Mobile Apps, 2019

When pilgrims encounter sacred sites, much of their experience is mediated through guides of one ... more When pilgrims encounter sacred sites, much of their experience is mediated through guides of one sort of another, such as books, tour leaders, or even, recently, electronic media available on handheld devices. Although the French shrine of Rocamadour celebrated a millennium of Catholic pilgrimage in 2013, it is better known as a tourist center than as a religious destination, due to the lure of outdoor activities, regional cuisine, and various animal parks. Weibel uses ethnographic data in this chapter to detail conflicts between local tourist agencies and the Diocese of Cahors and Rocamadour over the portrayal of the site, then considers how twenty-first-century digital and social media have been harnessed by each in order to persuade the public to interact with and interpret Rocamadour in specific ways.

The Overview Effect and the Ultraview Effect: How Extreme Experiences in/of Outer Space Influence Religious Beliefs in Astronauts

Religions

This paper, based mainly on astronauts’ first-person writings, historical documents, and my own e... more This paper, based mainly on astronauts’ first-person writings, historical documents, and my own ethnographic interviews with nine astronauts conducted between 2004 and 2020, explores how encountering the earth and other celestial objects in ways never before experienced by human beings has influenced some astronauts’ cosmological understandings. Following the work of Timothy Morton, the earth and other heavenly bodies can be understood as “hyperobjects”, entities that are distributed across time and space in ways that make them difficult for human beings to accurately understand, but whose existence is becoming increasingly detectable to us. Astronauts in outer space are able to perceive celestial objects from vantages literally unavailable on earth, which has often (but not always) had a profound influence on their understandings of humanity, life, and the universe itself. Frank Wright’s term, the “overview effect”, describes a cognitive shift resulting from seeing the Earth from s...

Destiny in Space

Anthropology News

Magnetism and Microwaves: Religion as Radiation

Religion and the Body, 2012

This chapter examines the notion of a geobiological understanding of sacred sites, Rocamadour in ... more This chapter examines the notion of a geobiological understanding of sacred sites, Rocamadour in particular, from the perspectives of pilgrims to and residents of these places. Another influence, Renaissance and Enlightenment-era theories about magnetism, should be considered, particularly the thought that there exist magnetic energies inside the human body that can be sensed and manipulated, especially for healing. The chapter also examines a few concepts on how human responses to places and the religious interpretation of these responses can be considered from the perspectives of neurobiology, evolutionary biology, and cognitive science. The broader scientific context of Western society has provided creativist pilgrims with language and concepts that, re-imagined in such a way to emphasize the oneness of what they see as 'true' religion and 'true' science, provide them with validating and universalizing schemas for interpreting pilgrim destinations. Keywords: cognitive science; Enlightenment-era theories; evolutionary biology; magnetic energies; Magnetism; neurobiology; Rocamadour; sacred sites; Western society

Pre Print Review of Space Tourism Elusive Dream

Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, 2020

This is a preprint of the book review found here: https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/9NUXYDM5KCYS... more