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SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES IN ÁDVENTURE THERAPY
than on weekdays. At the environmental level, connection with nature, awe
at a breathtaking view, oneness with nature, harmony with the environment,
and a sense of magicin the environment were all characteristics of both tours,
and at the transcendent level, worship of the Creator, prayer and presence of
God were also observed during the tours more than on weekdays.
When comparing hill and cave tours, growth in the communal level of
spiritual health was higher during hill tours, whereas deeper relation with
the Divine/ God was present during the cave tours. During hill tours,
participants could continuously see one another, had more opportunities
to talk with one another, and in one exercise climbed together with all of
the participants linked by a rope. Ihese factors may have enhanced the social
aspects of the experience and enabled the participants to feel love, trust,
respect, kindness, and forgiveness towards others. On the other hand, cave
tours offered a chance to experience a transcendent state (with relaxation
in complete darkness and silence) which could help foster a sense of ones
relationship with the Divine/God.
Our gualitative data showed that adventure tours offer an opportunity
both to contact the inner Self and to contact the "Other" (others, Nature,
transcendent power), as Schroeder concludes.*? We could see examples of how
transformation of the inner self and identification with nature can happen
simultaneously. Identification with nature or part of nature as presented
in the drawings was similar to that in the mystical poems.*° In conclusion,
we can state that the drawings reflect archetypical, mystical feelings of awe
and transcendence and insightful, deep experiences.
In summary, both our quantitative and qualitative results showed that both
hill and cave tours can prompt spiritual experiences and enhance spiritual
health.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
CSIKSZENTMIHALYI, Mihaly, Flow: the psychology of optimal experience.
New York, Harper & Row, 1990.
Eis, Edwin J. — YEATS, William B., The Works of William Blake, Poetic,
Symbolic, and Critical, Three vols., London, Bernard Quaritch, 1893.
FISHER, John W., FRANCIS, Leslie J. and JOHNSON, Peter, Assessing spiritual
health via four domains of spiritual wellbeing: The SH4DI, Pastoral
psychology 49 (2) (2000), 133-145.
9 Herbert W. Schroeder, The spiritual aspect of nature: A perspective from depth psychology.
In: Proceedings of the 1991 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium 1992, 25-30.
°° Spurgeon, Mysticism, 9-14.
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