Preview was written by Terence Heng
Q: What is the main purpose of your study?
A: To explore the ways in which different spaces that are considered sacred are established and maintained.
Q: What are the practical, day to day implications of your study?
A: My study helps individuals better understand the spiritual lives of individuals who practice Chinese religion in Singapore. In particular, it explores the different ways in which individuals set up and maintain “house temples” – temples that exist in spaces normally reserved for residential purposes.
Q: How does your study relate to other work on the subject?
A: There are many studies on sacred spaces and the politics of sacred spaces. Some scholars have also studied Chinese religious practices in high-rise, high-density flats in Singapore, but few have considered the practices of spirit mediums in this respect. My work extends on these studies by exploring the role of spirit mediums and their bodies in creating sacred space.
Q: What are two or three interesting findings that come from your study?
A: 1. The focus on the body and comportment of a spirit medium when in a trance overrides the need for formal physical structures or temples.
Q: What might be some of the theoretical implications of this study?
A: There is a need to consider the cartographies of the body and its related adornments, in relation to the space that it inhabits and shapes.
Q: How does your research help us think about Geography?
A: 1. Through my visual research, the photographs give a more nuanced and aesthetically impactful understanding of the geographies of sacred space
2. My research expands on the understanding of sacred space in urban areas.
To access the full articles, become an AGS affiliate and get free online access!
Click here to read the abstract of this article on the Wiley Online Library.