Erica Gamester: Sacred Encounter "Student Choice" #2

Profane Experience and Sacred Encounter: Journeys to Disney and the Camino de Santiago

In class lecture, we discussed how relationships could either be an “encounter” and “experience” depending on whether the receiver is being perceived as an object or a subject. Specifically, a subject is doing and acting while the object is being acted upon.

However, subjectivity is determined by whether or not it is acting upon another subject or object.  The subject must be able to preform and assert, while the object is submissive. Objectivity can be indicated by the use of “it, he, and she” (note: another subject can be called a “he/she” as well).

Being considered as an object doesn’t always mean that you are a lifeless item; humans can treat other humans as objects too! For example, a mother can tell her son to fetch the emptied trashcan from outside. The mother is using her son as an object in order to complete a task, resulting in a subject-to-object experience.

“Tourism involves person in mediated experience and profanes unmediated encounter.” (Page 30)

Reiterating the quote above, tourism requires individual participation with subject-to-subject experience rather than an “encounter”. The difference between experience and encounter deals with how communication is being conveyed.  Communication can happen subject-to-subject, where both individuals are mutually connecting, or subject-to-object, where the subject is acting upon another human, object or animal.

“Encounter between pilgrims themselves and the surrounding environment that makes up places along the sacred journey involves the ethic of reciprocity. Whomever the pilgrim encounters becomes a You, a mystery without borders rather than an object to be manipulated, used to a desired end.” (Page 30)

Essentially, experience and encounter is determined whether both involved in conversation have mutual intentions, rather than one being treated as an object. These subject-to-object experiences are not beneficial to the pilgrim, as it provides no reciprocity between land and man.