The Vision Quest: Where to Journey
Options are as far ranging as the cosmos, going beyond standard religious destinations such as the Vatican, Jerusalem, Egypt and the Yucatan. While we freely admit there’s nothing “standard” about the Pyramids of Giza or the Sistine Chapel, there are many other unique, less traveled destinations in which to conduct your spiritual search. In any place where inhabitants lived spiritual lives, there is an associated tourist industry. What else is available? Glad you asked, my child.
For more solitary types who prefer peaceful contemplation in idyllic surroundings over, say, the hustle of Jerusalem’s Old City or the dusty masses of Cairo, there are plenty of more quietly reflective options. Many Buddhist monasteries throughout the world — Asia, Europe and here in the United States (see resource section) — have programs that let travelers lead a monk’s life for a day or a week. Spend the morning in meditation, enjoy the traditional midday meal in silence, and then discuss the Dharma, nature’s underlying order, with fellow monks. Though renouncing all worldly possessions is not required for such stays, the more serious offerings may include long hours of meditation, which can be quite painful on the knees.
If you’d rather take spiritual journey without bruising your already creaky lower half, try a less rigorous — but no less imaginative — alternative. Gate 1 Travel is one of several operators offering packages that include tickets to the legendary Oberammergau Passion Play. In 1633, so the story goes, villagers of Oberammergau, Germany were being systemically extinguished by the Black Death. Though cleaning up the dried rat feces may have solved the crisis, the villagers relied instead on anguished cries for mercy, promising that if God spared them from the plague, they would perform a play about the life of Jesus every 10 years. They were saved, and the play lives on. The next performance is in 2010.
The sun god, or Tao Jreeku, and his four offspring — corn, blue deer, peyote and eagle — are the seminal players in the religion of the Huichol, a group indigenous to Mexico’s Sierra Madre mountains. The goal of the shamanistic Huichol religion is to fuse the world of spirit and nature with our own existence, showing that there really is no difference. Despite the group’s Mexican origins, the culture and practices of the Huichol have taken on a more international hue, spreading to wherever there is a beautiful natural place befitting of the tribe — including Alaska. The Center for Shamanic Studies offers a summer solstice package in a lodge overlooking Alaska’s stunning Inside Passage, including meditation circles, classes on Native American healing practices and “pilgrimages” to Mendenhall Glacier. (Note: Though the Huichol people include peyote in their religious rituals, this vacation package won’t!)
Often referred to as the cradle of humankind (Lucy was discovered there, after all), Ethiopia has no shortage of breathtaking religious sites. The country boasts a mysterious set of 11 13th-century monolithic cave churches found in Lalibela, where the Queen of Sheba made her historical home. Many of these stunning churches are still in use. Shrouded in even greater mystery is the Church of St. Mary of Zion, originally built in the fourth century A.D. as perhaps the first church in sub-Saharan Africa. Some believe that the holy Ark of the Covenant is housed in the church — it was stolen by Menelik, the offspring of the Queen of Sheba and Solomon — and to this day a “guardian monk,” appointed for life, is the only soul allowed to view the ark. Dubious? Sure, but fascinating nonetheless. Trips to this region of Ethiopia are often included as part of a bigger travel packages to the African nation (see resource section below).
The ley lines of the United Kingdom, believed to connect places imbued with significant undercurrents of spiritual resonance, have inspired fascination in travelers for years. Stonehenge is the most famous of the monolithic structures that mark these lines, but there are countless other constructions (stone circles, caves, monoliths) throughout Great Britain. Regardless of whether or not claims about ley lines are pseudoscience, the ancient structures that supposedly link these lines have great historical significance. And walking tours and vacation packages — such as those from Celtic Trails — can reveal a great deal about the lives of ancient Brits.
