The new tourism craze is a form of New Age travel. You now not only get to visit amazing places but enjoy a metaphysical and spiritual awakening at the same time. This is a growing trend in the travel industry where people go in search of the mystical and divine and find themselves chanting in burial chambers of ancient civilizations. Tourists searching for spiritual focus gather together in "religious" spaces such as the sarcophagus in the King's Chamber inside the Great Pyramid at Giza (pictured on the left) to perform various rituals with candles, bells, chimes and chants in the hopes of improving themselves and the world. Some travellers even claim to feel the power and presence of the ancients possess them, drawing them into the metaphysical plane and the boundary between this world and the next.
I wonder what they think they will achieve? Do they really believe that ancient civilizations had the answers to "life, the universe and everything" and will you really find these answers and spiritual guidance at an archaeological site? I must be a very spiritual person. As an archaeologist, I think it's a bit ridiculous. But putting my thoughts about spirituality and religious belief aside, I have a real concern. Surely these kinds of tourist visits will just further damage precious artifacts? I completely understand that people need to define their place in this world and find fulfilment (and that others will always find a way to make money from that need). I only hope that most people seeking spiritual enlightenment will have the savvy to be mindful of our treasured past and in their quest for calm and happiness, leave no trace of their visit behind.
5 comments:
A spiritual journey for me is a trp to the Winelands. August. You and Me. It's a date!
I'm inclined to agree with you. I think that this is more fiscal than spiritual and that the damage down far outweighs any enlightenment (apart from enlightening wallets?).
When I went to Peru I saw Machu Pichu and the usual ruins. Amidst our group was one such person seeking elnlightnement who believed there was a "energy center" for lack of a better word and spent her time meditating in these "fields." I thought to each their own, but you bring up a good point about damage. Who does watch out for this? On the flip side, isn't there visit bringing in money that could be used for restoration/preservation/etc.?
Good post!
i think the "energy fields" and things are all in the tourists' minds.
the mind is a powerful thing after all.
On a semi-related note... Whenever I hear someone talking about the wisdom of Native Americans, I remind them that the Indians never invented the wheel. So maybe they had the answers to all the big questions, but when they had to move something heavy from one place to another, the best they could come up with was, "Well, we could drag it."
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