Kayla Delaguila- Landscapes of the Sacred and Wilderness as Axis Mundi

While reading Wilderness as Axis Mundi, the line, “there is no specific material object that is wilderness…” really stuck with me, the fact that you cannot truly give a sweeping identifying definition to wilderness. I think that this is part of the reason that man is so drawn to wilderness. We cannot define it; it is a mystery to us. The adventurer in all of us wants to dive in and explore this unknown place. This then took me to the chart that is on page 222 of Landscapes of the Sacred by Lane. This chart shows the tensions of the wilderness: freedom vs. threat and comfort vs. constriction. Focusing mostly on the freedom vs. threat, I think this has a lot to do with the mystery that is found in wilderness. People want to experience the freedom that nature offers. They can spiritually and literally carve their own path. Then again, it is a scary and threatening thing to delve into unknown and just hope for the best. Thus, the push and pull of the wilderness. What is it about the freedom and mystery that will always attract people? For me personally, it's that sense of adventure. The thought that maybe I could discover something, that maybe I could be the first person to ever climb a certain mountain or tree or swim in a lake. It would be overwhelming and amazing really.