The Digital as a Space for Esoteric Practices: An Anthropological Study of Esoteric Practices in Contemporary Iran
According to the first article of the Bribery and Fraud Law in Iran (approved in 1988), the acts of Oracle (Fal: فال), Dream Interpretation (Ta’bire-Khab: تعبیر خواب), Exorcism (Jengiri: جن گیری), Witchcraft (Sehr: سحر), Fortune-telling (Pishguee: پیشگویی), and Prayer-Writing (Doa Nevisi: دعا نویسی) may potentially be classified as criminal, particularly in cases where monetary transactions are involved. Islam, Iran’s official religion, acknowledges the existence of supernatural beings and their role in human life; however, it emphasizes the necessity of faith in Allah and the prohibition of engaging with these supernatural beings. Despite the potential legal and religious consequences, the practices went online, which allowed the practitioners to preserve their identities while reaching a broader audience. This ethnographic study on the social media-based exoteric practices in contemporary Iran addresses a significant and underexplored area in the study of digital anthropology, religious studies, media studies, and sociology by investigating how digitalization is transforming religious practices in contemporary Iran. It aligns strongly with ongoing academic discussions about the impact of technology on religious and cultural practices, particularly in politically sensitive settings. The main objectives of this study are:
1. How social media platforms are working as agents of transforming religion in contemporary Iran
2. What are the challenges and opportunities of Digital religion and their practitioners in contemporary Iran?
The final findings of this research will contribute to broader discussions on the implications of digitalization for religious and occult sciences in diverse settings, advancing discourse on how technology influences the evolution of belief systems and social structures.
During this fellowship, I plan to finish an MSCA post-Doctoral fellowship Application and work on my publications.
Main Research Topics
- Digital Religion
- Media Anthropology
- Occult Sciences
- Sensorial Ethnography
- Visual Anthropology
Curriculum Vitae
- Research Associate, Institute of Sociology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen–Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany (Present)
- Habilitation Candidate, Institute of Sociology, Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Theology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen–Nuremberg (February 2024–Present)
- Lecturer, Elite Master’s Program “Standards of Decision-Making Across Cultures (SDAC)”, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen–Nuremberg (September 2023–July 2025)
- Postdoctoral Researcher, funded by the Office for Gender and Diversity, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen–Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany (September 2023–September 2024)
- Research Fellow, DFG-funded Center for Advanced Studies (Kollegforschungsgruppe) “Alternative Rationalities and Esoteric Practices from a Global Perspective”, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen–Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany (Present)
Publications and Presentations
- Abbasi, M. (2025). Whispers of spirits: Tracing the communication process in Zār ritual. Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft, 29(2).
- Abbasi, M. (2020). Mirroring values in possession ritual: A biographic-narrative study of female participants in the Zār ritual in Hormozgan Province. In A. D. (Ed.), Shamaness at the threshold: Gender, religions, and the state in Asia (pp. 225–244). Routledge.
- Abbasi, M. (2019). Crisis, recovery, and gender identity in Iranian female participants of the Zār ritual. Shaman, 27(1–2), 1–24.
- Abbasi, M. (2025, November 19–23). Beyond the visible: Jinn, dreams, and spiritual encounters in contemporary Iran. Paper presented at the American Anthropological Association (AAA) Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA, United States.
- Abbasi, M. (2025, June 26–28). The digital as a space for esoteric practices: An anthropological study of esoteric practices in contemporary Iran. Paper presented at the 20th Annual Conference of the European Association for the Study of Religions and Technology, Vilnius, Lithuania.