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In wilderness we encounter the enduring because we
come face to face with ancient things and timeless
cycles, and it is this direct encounter that makes our
sojourn in wilderness a moving spiritual experience.
enduring elements of nature, we
must in some measure relinquish
identification of ourselves with our
individual egos. The sublimity of
wild nature humbles us, minimizing
the importance of our individual
selves, yet comforting us with its
own grandeur. Nature’s beauty draws
us beyond ourselves and into rapt
fascination with our surroundings.
Beartrap Canyon was the first Bureau of Land Management
wilderness and it is a unit in the Lee Metcalf Wilderness, MT.
Photo courtesy of the BLM.
Similarly, the challenges that leave
us feeling confident and peaceful do
so by commanding our attention,
leaving little room for direct concern
with self.
This self-forgetting is extolled in
nearly every spiritual tradition.
Indeed, it might provide a concise
summary of the goal of spiritual life. I
do not suggest that the experience of
self-forgetting found in the wilderness
produces spiritual perfection, but it
may be that it gives us at least a
glimpse of the joy we are promised
such perfection would bring.
Conclusion
I have discussed that in wilderness
we can experience at least six spiritual
benefits, which I have called “the
enduring,” “the sublime,” “beauty,”
“competence,” “peace,” and “self-forgetting.”
I have tried to suggest connections
for each of these to a
spiritual or religious tradition, as well
as a psychological explanation of how
each leads to spiritual nourishment
or benefit. My treatment has necessarily
been brief, and each of these
benefits deserves deeper examination.
One form of examination would be
social science testing of the hypotheses
implicit in my claims.
32 International Journal of Wilderness DECEMBER 2002 • VOLUME 8, NUMBER 3
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BAYLOR JOHNSON originally presented
this paper in 2001 at the 7th WWC in
South Africa. He is an Associate Professor
in the Department of Philosophy at St.
Lawrence University, Canton, NY 13617,
USA. E-mail: bjohnson@stlawu.edu.