Liminality- Andrey Bondar

I went to a lake house on Tuesday to take a break from finals week and everything that life has been throwing at me. I experienced a sense of liminality where I separated myself from the constraints of the real world. The whole experience was very refreshing. I felt like I was living a different life that consisted of no worries. I was just spending quality time with friends and having a free mind. As soon as I returned to school I had a new perspective on everything and had a renewed energy where I was ready to take on the real world. It was definitely a much needed escape.

A Sacred Space: Home-Nick Thompson

A sacred space: home is an article I read about an author who is writing a book on building smaller homes that fit the personality of the buyer. She was told by her publisher that it needed a little something extra but that he could see the message that she was trying to get across. The author prior to a rewrite sat in deep meditation for days and found her "true voice". She realized that she could keep her book with her true voice but still make it less personal. I think that keeping your true voice at all times is something that we all need to do but also we need to keep ourselves open at the same time.

Outside readings-Nick Thompson

Some outside reading I chose were some of the trail journal blogs on trailjournals.com. It seems to me that most of the people who blog on this website are having some sort of spiritual experience in nature and it makes me wonder why havent I had a true sacred experience. I thought about the beach that I talked about before but I realize that, that is normal to me. I have not been outside the box and allowed nature to enter me.

Liminality-Nick Thompson

Liminality is described as ambiguity, openness, and indeterminacy. Liminality in nature is very important because it allows the person to realize new perspectives. It is a transition were normal thoughts, self understanding and behavior are relaxed. When entering a sacred place liminality is something to focus on. You should let yourself go and allow for new experiences.

Outside reading-Nick Thompson

One outside reading of mine is called the Problem of Wilderness. This reading talks about how people view wilderness as either untouchable and sacred or a wasteland for humans to further develope and exploit. The author says that both of these views are an unhealthy relationship between human and nature. It is unhealthy to make wilderness parks and tear down any proof of human being there because that is not considered preservation. But, it is also unhealthy to disrespect nature by thinking that we can just do anything with it and tear it down in order to develope it.

Beach-Nick Thompson

Having lived in Hawaii for a good portion of my life I feel as if my own personal sacred place is the beach. I can sit on a beach for hours at a time and never get bored. The sound of the ocean and the feeling of sand on my feet is all I need to relax and let myself open up to my surroundings.

outside reading 3-brandt 15

The final outside reading i looked at discussed the concept that there was no true wilderness anymore as a result of the technological advancements in recent years. The new inventions have rendered no place unreachable. As all places are no attainable many feel that there is no place to escape. However, i found this premise to be completely irrelavant as it does not matter where you are, as long as you are able to open yourself to the experience you are capable of having an intense spiritual journey at any place at anytime.