| Abstract: | Ontological security and basic trust are foundational to human existence, providing coherenceand stability. However, in late modern society, these foundations are increasingly destabilized asexistential questions—concerning time, space, continuity, and identity—are often suppressedor unanswered. This suppression contributes to a crisis of meaning, prompting individuals toseek alternative frameworks for coherence and purpose. This study explores how the Caminode Santiago pilgrimage functions as a rite of passage that allows participants to reconnect withthese existential concerns. Using a qualitative and quantitative content analysis of 32 pilgrims’travelogues, the study examines how the pilgrimage transcends a physical journey, creating atransformative space for reflection on self, others, and the world. Findings reveal that pilgrimsengage with existential questions in ways that challenge and transcend the structures of everydaylife. Through this liminal experience, they develop an interpretive framework that fosters self-acceptance, trust in others, and belief in an inherent order of the world, encapsulated in theperception that “the world is as it is because it is as it should be.” This process restores basictrust, enhancing pilgrims’ resilience, confidence, and sense of purpose. The study concludes thatthe Camino de Santiago pilgrimage provides a powerful mechanism for navigating the uncertaintiesof late modernity by fostering meaning-making, spiritual growth, and existential coherence. |
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