Pilgrimage: Journeying Beyond Self

Abstract

This paper explores how the experience of pilgrimage can contribute towards the subsequent sustained transformation of individual and community well-being. In so doing it examines four areas. The first is to draw a conceptual map that emphasizes the linkages between pilgrimage and wellness tourism and explores the larger meaning of the words ‘wellness’ and ‘spirituality’. The intention is to form a working definition and context in which to examine the well-being aspects of pilgrimage and the experiences it provides. The second area focuses briefly on what spirituality and pilgrimage mean. In so doing, it goes beyond the idea of pilgrimage as a journey to a sacred place, and concentrates more on the journeying itself, the importance of community and the space the journey affords for reflection on its physical, emotional and spiritual aspects. The third area considers two case studies from the pilgrimage experience. The first of these draws on the experiences of those who have travelled overland to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, while the second considers the experiences of people who have undertaken various charity treks as another form of pilgrimage. The individual experiences, drawn from those with religious affiliations and those with none, indicate how a challenging physical and emotional journey often—but not always—results in not only an enhanced physical well-being, but also a better understanding of self and others, a chance for renewal, and a learning experience that can be carried forward into daily life. The fourth area discusses how wellness tourism might react to those seeking more meaning to their lives through the journeying experience rather than the arrival.