Ryan Gibson (Landscapes of the Sacred #2)

I am very interested in what makes a Sacred place and how Sacred places can have an influence on those who choose to experience them first hand. One can read all about a holy site but to truly get emotional or spiritual growth from the site I believe actual interaction with the site is necessary. Simply making an appearance at the holy site however, is also not enough to experience the true nature of the sacred. Lane talks about this phenomenon when mentioning the axioms of a sacred place. His third axiom focuses more on the person experiencing the site rather then the site itself stating, "A third axiom would insist that sacred place can be tred upon without being entered. Its recognition is existentially, not ontologically discerned. The identification of sacred place is thus intimately related to states of consciousness"(19). This begs the question of how should someone experience the sacred place while there? I don't believe there is any special ritual or practice required besides fully committing to the place. This brings me back to our class discussion on a tourist versus a pilgrim in the mentality of the visit. Simply going to the site to see the sights and take pictures to show friends may not be the best way to experience the sacred. Coming into the site with a consciousness dedicated to growth and the spiritual will make the sacred place far more meaningful and life changing. While Physically visiting the sacred place is crucial for the experience, being mentally focused on the sacred and the connections between themselves and the place is just as important to truly enter it.