Pilgrimage as Self-Discovery in an Ecological Community

Pilgrims become open to self-discovery in a Gestalt of the personal and communal. Traditional pilgrimage integrates pilgrims into community faith. Long-distance hikes through wilderness, such as Appalachian Trail, may be interpreted from this lens. However, environment/space/place wilderness situates beyond traditional religious frame. The sacred does not manifest schema established symbols because trails disrupt preconceptions, breaking self’s strategies centering. disruption one’s prior orientation community, customs, conventions that form symbolic opens hiker what Levinas references “the delirium comes God [as] divine release soul yoke custom convention”. other transcendent presents herself exceeds idea me,” (Levinas). discover an existential dialogue with other, human or extra-human. communal extends boundaries, encompassing extra-human beings.