Theological notes. I had intended to have an article about some theological aspects of the spiritual practice of the labyrinth. Writing it, I felt it was not for me to get involved in that aspect of the labyrinth and decided to get out of that. Nevertheless, I will keep here some reflexions of a theological nature, which may be useful for some readers, but regarding which I will not take position or try to influence anyone. The current practice of walking the labyrinth tends to evacuate the specifically christian religious contents and to replace them with religiously neutral notions and attitudes. This is conform to the current assumptions related to transcendental meditation methods, which tend to evacuate contents in general. Nevertheless, we should not forget the traditional occidental meditation methods, in which one applies one's mind on concrete situations, persons, images, and then, from these and with their help, enters in actual prayer and the consideration of practical intentions for application to the real situations of life (which seems to be completely absent from current meditation and prayer practices). One's spiritual life has to be nurtured by close and regular contact with one's religion's beliefs and mysteries, and the life models and precepts or counsels carried by that religion. It seems to be common understanding that the center of the labyrinth is the place where God (or the Self) is to be met. This is a very ambiguous notion. In traditional Christian prayer practices, God is to be met anywhere, and possibly the most important part of the prayer is placing oneself in the presence of God right from the start. Of course, God is spiritual, and you will not necessarily feel that you are meeting him: most probably not. The current practices tend to valorize any mystical experiences that may be provoked or facilitated through walking the labyrinth. This may be a dangerous spiritual orientation. Jung might say: beware of psychic inflation. The spiritual experience that one may live walking the labyrinth may in fact result from an encounter with an archetype very different from the Self or God, but nevertheless of a numinous nature. It may be prudent to obtain counseling from a competent and responsible person. An interesting approach to the religious walk of the labyrinth is that of role playing. Forget any intrinsic meaning of the labyrinth itself. Picture yourself as some character walking the path of the labyrinth. Your imagination will completely rebuild the labyrinth according to the intention of the character whose role you are playing. Are you a pilgrim? The labyrinth is the road to Jerusalem (or any other pilgrimage destination). Are you Theseus? The labyrinth is the very dangerous prison of the Minotaur. Are you a warrior? The labyrinth is the approach to the castle that you are either attacking or defending. Are you a peasant plowing his field? The labyrinth is the field, the lane is the furrow that you till, sow or harvest. For the player of this role, the center of the labyrinth does not have the same importance as for the previous ones: the only important part is the furrow that you work upon, patiently and humbly; the center is nothing more than the place where you lift your plough and start walking back across the furrows and out of your field. This last example shows how wide can be the range of significations of the labyrinth and of its parts. The attitude of role-playing goes very deeply both in the meanings particular to the person, and in the extensive realization of the details pertaining to the role, especially the corporeal attitudes and gestures, which are involuntary but irresistibly reproduced, and which are directly and very deeply related to the personal meanings, including the religious attitudes and the act of praying. The roles to be played can be found in one's personal life, but they can also be borrowed from mythology, history, literature, cinema... They can even be borrowed from the specific religious contents of one's religion. Especially in activities and events initiated and hosted by religious organizations. From a religious/theological point of view, the roles to be played by a believer in some religion, when walking the labyrinth, should be related to one's beliefs. In particular, and going to an extreme, the traditional christian practice of the Way of the Cross is closely related to the practice of the labyrinth. The role played then (even if only tentatively and in all due respect of the differences, but nevertheless in the spirit of the Imitation of Christ) is that of Christ in this particular situation (the role could also be that of a person accompanying Him). Of course, that has to be conducted with a profound respect both of the religious contents and notions involved, and of the person's personal attitudes and faith. The specific rhythmical structure of the path of the labyrinth lends itself to the building of scenarios for more elaborate role playing. Particular elements of the labyrinth can become concrete "supports" for particular notions or events. Traditional texts and prayers can help in building these scenarios. Before attempting to build a role-playing scenario, a rhythmical analysis of the particular labyrinth to be used has to be made. More information on the rhythmical structure of the labyrinth is contained in my book. It should be emphasized that for a religions person, meditation IS prayer, and walking the labyrinth can hardly be done without becoming a prayer. Conversely, labyrinth walking scenarios for religious persons should be built explicitly as prayers (or as explicitly religious rituals). From a certain number of experiences that either I witnessed or that were reported to me, I think that the labyrinth should never be approached by spiritually sensitive persons, unless with an explicitly religious scenario as a protection against one's own personal (individual or collective) fears and demons that might otherwise be aroused by treading the labyrinth. The default scenario attached to the labyrinth is the story of the Minotaur, which is familiar to everybody. That scenario (or some other scenario possibly destabilizing for this person) is therefore very likely to be activated. Quite violent and irrational emotional states are then induced in the person. Home page.