Walking for well-being. Exploring the phenomenology of modern pilgrimage

Abstract

Modern pilgrimages are gaining popularity in Western culture despite increased secularization. Historically, pilgrimages were a religious ritual with the goal of personal transformation. This study explores the phenomenology of modern pilgrimage: the motivations to go on a pilgrimage, the experience and the subsequent changes. An explorative study was conducted on 142 pilgrims. The results indicate that 74% of the participants were motivated by psycho-existential motives to go on the Camino to Santiago. In addition, 75% of the participants experienced changes in life after walking the Camino. The findings indicate that modern pilgrimage still has transformative potential. Furthermore, six major themes regarding the phenomenology of the Camino emerge from the data: (1) authentic experience, (2) walking in nature, (3) self-transformation, (4) community, (5) simplicity and (6) spirituality, indicating that modern pilgrimage is a multidimensional psycho-existential phenomenon.