Journeys Into Transformation

Abstract

This article explores the apparent connections between travel and transformation by considering two key questions: “Why might travel ‘broaden the mind’ or elicit transformative development?” and “Are there types of places and journeys that are more efficacious in this respect?” The article presents an argument that places and journeys which provide an encounter with Otherness, whether in terms of different cultures or the “more than human realm” of nature and wilderness, have significant transformative potential. The article further suggests that traditional pilgrimage practices might be fruitfully adopted and adapted in the development of transformative educational programs. The article concludes with a call to future research and a caution about the sensitivity required in order to ensure that the transformative power of places are not diminished through their exploitation.