Macrina Mackan - Week 4

The theme for this week was officially "spirits spirits everywhere: animism and modern interpretations". This week dove more into the belief systems of spiritual healers, and the readings provided examples of such beliefs. One reading in particular was very detailed about how the world of Vietnamese Shamanism has been ever-changing.  The chapter assigned to us from the book Possessed by the Spirits: Mediumship in Contemporary Vietnamese Communities gave an insight into spirit mediums in Silicon Valley.  It talks about doi moi and the impact it had on Silicon Valley mediums, and how the len dong ritual is one of great importance to this culture. The reading mentions doi moi numerous times, but never actually explains what it is, making the reading confusing in some parts. Upon researching this phrase, I learned that it is the name for the economic reforms initiated in Vietnam in 1986, or more specifically, it was a time when Vietnam went from being a communist country to being more socialist. It made sense why this event was impactful for Vietnamese mediums in California, they could now return home with less fear of being prosecuted for their spiritual beliefs. This chapter goes into great detail about the relationship between materialism and spirituality. Some mediums are afraid that the community is becoming too greedy by asking the spirits for wealth and by competing with one another to see who has the most expensive, elaborate pieces for ceremonies. Other mediums believe that it is okay to ask for wealth as that wealth will be directed back to ceremonies to ensure that the best items are being used. It was difficult for me to decide what side of the argument I was on, but it made the most sense that every person contribute what they can. A poor man should not be punished for not giving as much as a wealthy man. Overall, the chapter brought to light something I never knew existed: Vietnamese mediumship in Silicon Valley. It's fascinating to see how these practices have evolved over time and how new places of worship have been built and have grown. The chapter talks a lot about the different temples in Silicon Valley, but never shows what they look like. I was curious and decided to look up some images. Here is a temple in San Jose: