Abstract
Many contemporary pilgrims embark on the Camino de Santiago, a Catholic pilgrimage dating back to the 9th century, due to its spiritual character and its potential transformative outcomes. However, there is just little understanding on how the journey can bring about such fundamental life-changes. The present study addresses this knowledge gap by utilizing an online survey (672 responses) along semi-structured in-depth interviews (6 participants) in an integrated mixed methods research approach.The findings show that the pilgrimage can lead to an increased appreciation for life, higher self-acceptance, a heightened quest for meaning and/or sense of purpose as well as enhanced concern for others. These change outcomes are generally stronger in pilgrims who embark on the Camino with strong spiritual and/or religious motivations. A younger age and a Christian worldview also appear to contribute to transformative outcomes.
Regarding the pilgrimage experience, elements such as simplicity, nature as well as religion and spirituality facilitate the transformation pilgrims can undergo. However, community and solitude, in a complex interplay, seem to be the most influential aspects of the pilgrimage. While many of these elements are individually associated with general well-being, on the Camino de Santiago they interact to form a potentially transformative experience.
Since the data collection did not occur in a longitudinal manner, there is a possibility that participants’ memories may be imprecise, which could impact the reliability of the results. Nonetheless, it can be concluded that pilgrimage on the Camino can bring about considerable transformative outcomes, at least for some part of the pilgrim community, which are facilitated by the totality of the pilgrimage experience.
Date of Award | 15 Apr 2024 |
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Original language | English |
Supervisor | Femmianne H. Bredewold (Supervisor) & Renske Kruizinga (Supervisor) |