Keyuanna Hunt- Landscpaes of the sacred #1

Lane’s three approaches for understanding sacred place are: ontological, cultural and phenomenological. An ontological approach separates a sacred place from its surroundings, it’s “recognized as manifesting its own inherent, chthonic power and numinosity” (Belden Lane). A cultural approach, values perspectives from a refined group of people (takes a traditional stance). The last perspective is a phenomenological that addresses the importance of the landscape in its approach. Basically it is a connection between nature and an individual. I think we all have had experiences in a place that makes it sacred. Maybe a favorite location under a tree that brought peace into one's life or a piligramage for a foreigner back home after a long time away. Whatever the case maybe, it is quite amusing how Lane's approaches actually make a lot of sense now that I think back to my own experiences.