Interiority and objectivity with Starseeds on the pale blue dot : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Social Anthropology at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Abstract

This thesis examines a new religious movement of people who call themselves Starseeds. I examine Starseed beliefs in light of the postmillennium and our current digitised world, as well as demonstrate a correlation between the Starseed worldview and current societal norms, ideas and the social imaginary. The formulation of the Starseed worldview seems to be highly responsive to exterior social factors, be it political, environmental, or economic, whilst also maintaining a historicity and religionism that can be traced through to the traditions and beliefs of older, more established religious groups. Additionally, my research into Starseeds recognises that the spiritual quest for theosis and enchantment is still ever-present in today’s secularised age. Underlying the themes of this thesis is the age-old philosophical debate around object versus subject, and I present some current arguments that exemplify the progression of quantum understandings into previously determinist, materialist disciplines such as physics and maths. Furthermore, I propose that the Starseeds’ beliefs in shifting realities, multi-dimensions, and noumenal subjectivity correspond with premises of quantum mechanics, and posit that this is a trend not limited to Starseeds, but rather an indication of a shift in the way the sciences and social sciences are currently reconfiguring their frameworks and understandings. Starseed beliefs in aliens and being star-born souls necessitated a discussion about the anthropological and theoretical decentering of the human in two main spheres: the Anthropocene; based around the premise that we are earthbound Beings, subject and vulnerable to the simple requirements of the body, including clean water and air; and amazing discoveries in astroscience including the salty brine on one of Jupiter’s moons which may be an indicator of life as well as possibly habitable exo-planets. These developments have garnered a growing realisation that our anthropogenic and geocentric worldview as humans on Earth may, in future, face challenges to long-held assumptions.