Zen and the Art of Cultural Commodification
Yes, it is possible to hold the sacred. To feel it. To breathe it in. I have spritzed it around my classroom; students have generally found the smell to be pleasant, if slightly reminiscent of Big Red gum.
I recently purchased a two-ounce bottle of Sacred Space from Urban Outfitters, America’s finest purveyor of culturally insensitive fashion and home decor. (“TO USE: Mist around your room, house, car, etc., to ground, clear, & renew energies.”) Although this product may seem like little more than all-natural air freshener, the marketing of Sacred Space is interesting for students and scholars of religion and capitalism. Critics of these types of products argue that they represent a form of cultural imperialism, while those that promote these items—and benefit from their sales—argue that they are honoring a community or a way of life. The problem is that, while this item in particular draws on imagery and symbolism vaguely associated with Indigenous spirituality, it is unmoored from a particular cultural community.
The art of “smudging,” the burning of sacred aromatic herbs, is a cleansing ritual that has been practiced by humans since ancient times. These sacred plants are believed to help dispel unwanted energies and encourage healing.The herbs, essential oils, and flower essences in this mist are among those believed to aid in spiritual cleansing, grounding, and energetic renewal and protection.
John and Jean Comaroff’s 2009 Ethnicity, Inc. offers a useful analytical framework for understanding the process through which individuals and companies package facets of culture and religion for sale and consumption. Another useful text for thinking through this phenomenon is Jeremy Carrette and Richard King’s Selling Spirituality (2004), which focuses primarily on the commodification of Eastern religions.
A Group Blog on American Religious History and Culture
Source: http://usreligion.blogspot.com/2015/05/zen-and-art-of-cultural-commodification.html
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