Labyrinths: A Pathway to Reflection and Contemplation / Ask an Expert: Constructing Labyrinths for Patients With Cancer

Labyrinths are among the oldest manmade tools that encourage reflection, contemplation, and transformation. They were created 4,000 years ago, and evidence of their existence has been found in many cultures where they are believed to have been important in rituals and ceremonial dance. In medieval Europe, labyrinths were a symbol of the Christian faith; the labyrinth walk often was a substitute for the long pilgrimages of the Crusades. Over the years, labyrinths have been used for prayer, ritual, initiation, and personal and spiritual growth. Their current popularity has been called a “labyrinth renaissance” and attributed to the contemporary need to search for simplicity, deepen self-awareness, access intuition and creativity, and connect to the soul.