Mercerism

Mercerism is a fictional religion from Philip K. Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" that emphasizes shared empathy and connection among its followers. Practitioners meditate or experience collective empathy, often using a device called the Empathy Box to unite their consciousness and feel others' pain and joy. The religion fosters a sense of communal compassion and moral responsibility, helping humans distinguish themselves from artificial beings by their capacity for empathy. It reflects themes of interconnectedness, human identity, and the importance of compassion in a technologically advanced, increasingly dehumanized world.