Ontological security and basic trust are foundational to human existence, providing coherence and stability. However, in late modern society, these foundations are increasingly destabilized as existential questions—concerning time, space, continuity, and identity—are often suppressed or unanswered. This suppression contributes to a crisis of meaning, prompting individuals to seek alternative frameworks for coherence and purpose. This study explores how the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage functions as a rite of passage that allows participants to reconnect with these existential concerns. Using a qualitative and quantitative content analysis of 32 pilgrims’ travelogues, the study examines how the pilgrimage transcends a physical journey, creating a transformative space for reflection on self, others, and the world. Findings reveal that pilgrims engage with existential questions in ways that challenge and transcend the structures of everyday life. 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 the perception that “the world is as it is because it is as it should be.” This process restores basic trust, enhancing pilgrims’ resilience, confidence, and sense of purpose. The study concludes that the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage provides a powerful mechanism for navigating the uncertainties of late modernity by fostering meaning-making, spiritual growth, and existential coherence.
Snežana Brumec (Thu,) studied this question.