THE ARTS: "Fan Fever Is Rising For Debut Of 'Avatar,'" by Michael Cieply, New York Times, 25 April 2009.

NOVELTIES: "Inside These Lenses, a Digital Dimension," by Anne Eisenberg, New York Times, 26 April 2009.

The new film from technology inventor (and director) James Cameron is generating a lot of wild talk on the web, the story says, with some who have seen it claiming that the reality factor on this proprietary 3D technique is so great that brain imprinting occurs to the point of subsequent dreaming (sort of a "I've been here before" feeling).

Second story is about the future of heads-up displays on glasses and even contacts. My son already plays videogames with wrap-around-vision glasses that he finds quite immersive (in fact, he did his science project on them this year).

It all reminds me of that sequence of Philip K. Dick's, "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" where Decker's wife (I believe, or maybe it was Decker himself) engages in the daily religious observance of relieving the great prophet's mythical trek up a hillside as enemies throw rocks at him from the side. In the description, it doesn't sound that different than my son with his wrap-around vision glasses, except he's yet to feel the blows (but that's coming soon).

My point: I expect a lot of this technology to find its way into religious observance over the century, just like in Dick's book. Why note the crucifixion and passion and death and resurrection when you can feel it all for yourself?

The true baptisms are just beginning . . .