Elizabeth D. The Paradox of Being Present to Place

The paradox of being present to place is an idea discussed by Lane, in his book "Landscapes of the Sacred," and is the third of his four axioms to describe sacred place. This axiom
tells us that sacred place can be tread upon without being entered. In this sense, Lane means that recognition of the sacred place itself is an existential recognition as opposed to an ontological one. Recognition of the sacred place is additionally related to a state of consciousness. While seemingly paradoxical, this axiom helps us understand that it is possible to tread upon sacred place without entering it. Many sacred places can be entered in the entire sense of the meaning, by means of understanding the sacred place, and possessing the knowledge as to why it is a sacred location. Many cultures involve rituals of initiation, which one would have to encounter or go through, before being able to enter a certain sacred place. I can relate to this axciom, and better understand it by past experiences with my sorority. The place in which we participate in some of our rituals is a location on campus that I have been to before, and have had classes in. Once initiated, the place in which we held our rituals was no longer just a classroom, it had a different meaning to me, as If I had entered the location for the first time. Although this does not make it a sacred place, and is not a description of one, it helps me to understand the third axiom, and make sense of the idea of treding upon sacred place without entering it.