In modern game culture, religion and mythology often act as the main backbone basis of a plot, gameplay, and personalities of game characters. In a multiplatform game “Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice” released in 2017, the subject line, images of the characters, and internal game mechanics are based on Scandinavian and Celtic mythology. The authors distinguish the main components of mythological and religious traditions of the peoples, which were used to create the game. An important part of archaic religions of many peoples were altered states of consciousness (ASC). According to the plot, the main character experiences an altered state of consciousness that creates specific audiovisual perception of the game. The authors of the article try to consider specific features of creation of the computer game on religious and mythological basis bringing in the last achievements in the field of computer technologies. The authors claim that computer games are not only a demonstration of the growing power of digital technologies, but also “a mold of modern culture”, a reflection of the moods dominating in the society, ethical installations, and worldview criteria. Popular game “Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice” not only reflects these aspects of modern Western culture, but also forms mentality of those people who are fond of the game.

Keywords: mythology, religion, computer game, altered states of consciousness, psychosis

DOI: 10.22250/2072-8662.2018.2.154-161

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About the author

	Andrey V. Lapin – PhD (Philosophy), Assistant Professor at the Department of History and Religious Studies, the Amur State University, 21 Ignatievskoe shosse, Blagoveshchensk, Russia, 675027; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
	Elena D. Aganina – Bachelor student at the Department of Religious Studies and History, the Amur State University; 21 Ignatievskoe Shosse, Blagoveshchensk, Amur Region, Russia, 676027; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.