Creative escapism and the Camino de Santiago

The phenomenon of escapism, extensively analyed in the key mechanism of escape into the world of illusion and imagination in numerous sociological and psychological studies, has not yet been researched from a theological perspective or described in the context of pilgrimage. Nevertheless, the existing studies encourage this type of reflection, indicating that escapism seems to be one of the ways to solve social problems by turning towards religiousness. This is the case for pilgrims on their journey to the tomb of St. James the Apostle in Santiago de Compostela. The studies of pilgrims reveal the escapist motivations behind the decision to go on a journey and the therapeutic effects of the pilgrimage. In this context, the pilgrims’ escapism is a creative process of transformation that creates something new.