Alex Clark: Choice Topic 2: wilderness solo vs group

Exploration in wilderness comes in many forms. Trail hiking, pilgrimages, created programs, trail biking, or simply wandering the woods around your house are all wilderness exploration. These experiences have the capacity to be profound; spiritually, sacredly, purely, or any combination of those. There is a question that arises; wondering whether time in the wilderness is more profound when an individual is alone or when he or she is amongst a group. These answers can vary depending on the situation; personality of the individual, the point of their life that they are at, the type of wilderness exposure, etc. However, due to the experiences of many men and women, including myself, the writings that ensued, and the theories and concepts of sacred place experts, a conclusion seems inevitable. Time in a group allows individuals to grow in relations, have somebody to reminisce about the experience with later, learn more from, and enter into communitas with. Humans thrive off of interpersonal relations. Relations provide strength, growth, support, and love, some of the most important things in life. This relational dimension of life taken into the mystic of nature provides the ultimate scenario for spirituality and value. One may also always leave a group for a short time to be alone. When alone altogether however, you may be able to connect closer with nature, the silence of individuality allowing thought, but the mind only goes so far on its own. It needs discussion and reconsideration and opposition to thrive. Therefore, spending time in the wilderness with a group of people has a greater effect on individuals than spending time in the wilderness alone.