Description

Published by Five Minutes in the ESSENCE series, this book explores what gives mountains, temples and caves around the world their mysterious aura. Drawing on recent research (2024-2025) in psychology, anthropology and conservation, the author shows how collective stories and the awe felt before majestic landscapes transform ordinary sites into sanctuaries. The book analyses the solar alignments of Stonehenge, the cosmology carved into Borobudur's terraces, the controversial vortexes of Sedona and the pilgrimages that transform the lives of Camino walkers. It gives voice to Indigenous peoples from Australia's Anangu to Colombia's Arhuaco to understand how spirituality and ecology intertwine. Finally, it addresses contemporary threats climatic, industrial and cultural to these places and suggests ways forward for respectful sacred tourism. An invitation to travel differently and support the preservation of these intangible treasures.