Spirituality of Pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago: Existential Questions and the Meaning of Life

Ontological security and basic trust serve as the essential framework of human existence, providing an unquestionable foundation for the concept of the meaning of life. However, in late modern society, existential questions - questions encompassing time, space, continuity, and identity - are suppressed, leading to constant exploration, reevaluation, and contemplation of these inquiries. This absence of a universal and binding value system contributes to a crisis of meaning. Rites of passage, such as the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, have the potential to establish a profound connection between individuals' lives and existential questions. Findings of a qualitative and quantitative content analysis of 32 pilgrims' travelogues confirm that the pilgrimage offers insights into existential concerns and creates a sense of firmness by mixing cognitive and moral elements. This blending suggests that the world is as it is because it is as it should be. Consequently, this conviction provides pilgrims with an interpretive framework for life, infusing their existence with meaning.