2021/06/25 by Emmylou Rahtz, Sara L. Warber, Sara Warber +2
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health #Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology #Religious Tourism and Spaces
paper · pdf · doi:10.1007/s10943-021-01306-6
crossref issued 2021/06/25 · crossref published 2021/06/25 · crossref published-online 2021/06/25 · openalex publication_date 2021/06/25 · crossref created 2021/06/25 · crossref published-print 2021/12/01 · crossref deposited 2023/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · crossref indexed 2026/07/26 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/26
Millions of pilgrims visit Lourdes each year, often seeking revitalisation rather than miraculous cures. We sought to understand the phenomenon of transcendent experiences. We spoke with 67 pilgrims including assisted pilgrims, young volunteers and medical staff. About two in five reported a transcendent experience: some felt they had communicated or had close contact with a divine presence, while others reported a powerful experience of something intangible and otherworldly. Transcendent experiences are an important feature of pilgrimage to Lourdes and the place offers the faithful a means of connecting with the divine, with nature and with the self.