Chapter 7: Digital Pilgrimage: Virtual Spiritual Journeys in the Connected Age

Digital pilgrimage is a border zone, a contact between technology and spiritual practice, providing digital sacred tourism by means of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and interactive platforms to accessible, distant sacred sites. This chapter looks at how these inventions overcome the form of disability as well as financial and geographical barriers, coupled with the questioning of whether the virtual experience can substitute the traditional pilgrimage. It is within this context that the analysis considers hybrid forms that incorporate the digital and material and ethical issues of remunerating, particularly the cultures of origin, representation of sacred practices in a respectful manner and conservation. With the alarming increase of climate issues and overtourism, digital pilgrimage is introducing sustainable options that reconcile tradition with reasonable accessibility to spiritual heritage.