“Their sense of wonder was the same as mine." : Outdoor Educators’ Spiritual Experiences in Wilderness.

Abstract: This study investigates outdoor educators’ spiritual experiences in wilderness from a retrospective point of view. The aim is to understand their meaning-making and the role of such experiences in their life and career as well as to draw out possible implications for outdoor education (OE) with special regards to a sustainable future of our planet. For that purpose, qualitative, semi-structured interviews were held with six American OE professionals aged 28 to 53, and analyzed in the manner of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The paper examines the concepts of wilderness, nature-based spirituality and OE, describes a number of relevant studies, and dedicates a critical chapter to the philosophical foundations of IPA. Due to participants’ varying comfort levels with spirituality, the paper suggests to refer to awe-inspiring experiences rather than spiritual experiences. The interviews show the significance of such experiences for the individual, and stress the importance of understanding them as part of a personal story, set in a framework in which participants make meaning. The paper identifies a number of elements that foster the awe- inspiring experiences reported in this study, and presents five ways they inspire the beholder on an intra-, inter- and extrapersonal level. In regards to OE, the paper emphasizes the crucial role awe-inspiring experiences may play in a perpetuating positive cycle towards environmental care and stewardship.