THE Hopi believe their religion maintains the spiritual stability of the entire THE Old City of Jerusalem is often listed among the top spiritual places in planet. You get a sense of this as you step back into an infinite time of the world. | UNSPLASH quiet solitude and meditate on the open vistas of the Hopi Mesas.
Spiritual tourism Travelling for inner, self-reflexive experiences and outer destination experiences JAEYEON CHOE AND ALAN A. LEW
THE pandemic has led some people to take a greater interest in religion and spirituality. One of the many definitions of the “spirit” is that it is our inner, nonphysical world, including both our conscious and subconscious minds. Our spiritual self interprets sensory inputs from our outer world and creates our experience of reality. We usually associate spirituality with practices such as worship, meditation and yoga. But for many, travelling can be highly spiritual, as it involves being immersed in an experience different from our normal existence. It is also a “liminal experience” – we are suspended in an unknown setting which opens us to new possibilities. Spiritual tourism, including wellness tourism, was a rising global trend before the pandemic.
The book and Hollywood film Eat Pray Love, for example, drew tourists to India and Bali in Indonesia, seeking spiritual solutions to the challenges of modern life. As the pandemic eases and the world gradually returns to international travel, we expect places known for their spiritual energy and significance will become popular destinations. Spiritual tourism is as much about inner, self-reflexive experiences as outer destination experiences. Here are five places you can visit with great spiritual significance. The Old City of Jerusalem, Israel The Old City of Jerusalem is often listed among the top spiritual places in the world. It contains some of the holiest sites for the Abrahamic religions, including the Western Wall for Judaism, the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Christianity, and the Dome of the Rock for Islam. But even if you’re not a follower of these religions, the sounds, smells, narrow cobblestone footpaths, ancient architecture, and multicultural people, shops and foods open your mind. Some even succumb to Jerusalem syndrome, perhaps remembering a spiritual connection to the city from a past life. But while we can go to the most religious places in the world, they will not be spiritual until we turn inward. For tourists, there are several non-intrusive ways to turn inwards while maintaining respect for the destination. These include setting aside time for contemplation, maintaining a sense of mindfulness and openness to new experiences, and silent
