Wilderness is more than just a physical place. It is a concept, a symbol, a realm where the natural world intersects with human emotions, spirituality, and myth. It’s a place of freedom, mystery, and introspection, but it is also often a space that both frightens and fascinates us. Wilderness is simultaneously a real, physical entity—whether it be a sprawling forest, a towering mountain, or a vast desert—and an imagined one, shaped by centuries of cultural narratives, religious beliefs, and personal experiences. As a person whose spirituality has incorporated the honoring of the seasons and recognizing the sanctity of nature, I have long cherished the concept of wilderness. I’ve come to appreciate the way that wilderness functions as both a literal and a spiritual space—a place where the boundaries between human and non-human life blur, where the sacred and the profane coexist. There is a complex relationship between wilderness, spirituality, and mythology, as seen from a wide range of cultural perspectives, including Native American wisdom, early European settlers, Transcendentalism, and modern literature.  In the words of those who have come before us, wilderness emerges not just as a physical landscape but as a spiritual and mythic realm that reflects our deepest connections to the natural world.

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Wilderness as a Sacred Space: Native American Perspectives

     One of the earliest and most profound ways wilderness has been understood is through Indigenous wisdom. Chief Luther Standing Bear’s writings provide a powerful window into how Native American communities, particularly the Lakota, view wilderness not as something to conquer, but as a sacred realm to be respected. In his essay "Indian Wisdom," Standing Bear describes nature as a living entity, where every part of the natural world has its own spirit and significance. Wilderness, for Native Americans, is not separate from humanity but intimately connected with it, a view also echoed in the Ojibwe creation myth of Turtle Island. Here, the world is formed from the body of a great turtle, which suggests that land, water, and animals are integral parts of a divine whole. This creation myth doesn’t just explain how the world was made; it reflects the deep spiritual relationship Native peoples hold with the land. Wilderness is seen as a place where the human spirit connects with the larger cosmic order, where one's survival and spiritual well-being are directly linked to the health of the environment.

     Wilderness in these Indigenous traditions is not simply wilderness—it is *home*. It is a space for communal rituals, spiritual connection, and even moral guidance. In many Native stories, the wilderness is a place where humans can learn from the animals, the trees, and the stars, seeking guidance in the unspoken language of the natural world.

 

Wilderness in Early European-American Thought
     In contrast, the European settlers’ view of wilderness—such as reflected in William Bradford’s account of the Pilgrims in “Of Plymouth Plantation”—was one of suspicion, hardship, and danger. The narrative highlight themes of faith, perseverance, and community,

                    as Bradford describes the Pilgrims' commitment to their religious beliefs and

                    their reliance on one another for survival. He recounts the harsh conditions of

                    the first winter, the relationships formed with Native Americans, and the   

                    eventual establishment of a successful harvest. It emphasizes the importance

                    of divine providence and the Pilgrims' sense of mission in creating a new

                    society based on their values. 

                         To Bradford and other early settlers, wilderness was the untamed land they

                    encountered after crossing the Atlantic. It was unfamiliar and threatening, separate from their spirit and spiritual practices. Wilderness in this context was something to be subdued, to be transformed into a “civilized” space. Bradford’s account details how the Pilgrims struggled to survive in this harsh, unfamiliar terrain, seeing the land less as a sacred space than a wild and dangerous challenge to their survival.
     The idea of wilderness as an untamable place became deeply entrenched in the early American consciousness, and many of the myths surrounding the frontier—as well as the later American wilderness tradition—are built on these perceptions. The wilderness was a trial, something to be overcome. In the long history of American expansion, wilderness was often conceptualized as the opposite of civilization—a hostile, chaotic environment that stood in stark contrast to human order and control.  The opposite of the perception of the sacredness of the natural by indigenous cultures that existed before the arrival of colonist and explorers. And quite different from my own.
 

Wilderness and the Romanticization of Nature

     The concept of wilderness began to shift in the 19th century with

the rise of American Transcendentalism. Writers like Ralph Waldo

Emerson and Henry David Thoreau celebrated wilderness not for its

role in survival or struggle, but for its ability to elevate the human

soul. In Emerson’s “Nature”, he describes the wilderness as a place

where individuals can reconnect with their spiritual selves, free from the distractions and corruptions of modern society. Emerson conjectured that nature was not only a source of physical sustenance but a mirror for the soul, reflecting to humans their deepest truths. He wrote, "In the presence of nature, a wild delight runs through the man, in spite of real sorrows" (Nelson p. 29).
     Thoreau, in his famous essay “Walking,” also viewed wilderness as a means of personal liberation. He wrote of walking through the forests not just for exercise, but as a spiritual quest. For Thoreau, nature was both a teacher and a sanctuary. This philosophical shift moved wilderness from being a place of peril to a place of profound spiritual and intellectual discovery. Yet, even here, there is a thread of privilege. Wilderness became a retreat for the individual, a space for personal growth and transcendence, but one that was often accessed only by those with the resources to seek it out.

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Wilderness as a Place of Conflict and Redemption

                   Wilderness in American literature also reveals a more complex, sometimes                            darker, relationship with the natural world. In Washington Irving’s “Rip Van

                    Winkle”, the wilderness is portrayed as a mysterious and almost supernatural

                    place. Rip Van Winkle ventures into the woods and emerges twenty years later,

                    having lost touch with the reality of his former life. The Catskill Mountains,

                    where Rip Van Winkle wanders, embodies the untamed and natural world. This

                    wilderness is portrayed as a place of escape from the burdens of society and

                    the responsibilities of family life. Rip's retreat into the mountains allows him to find solace and peace away from his nagging wife and the pressures of colonial life. The wilderness, in this case, is both a literal place of escape and a metaphor for the shifting tides of history and time. Nature has a way of altering human destiny, and Rip’s encounter with it shows the power of wilderness to upend human existence.
     Similarly, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” explores how the wilderness can represent a place of temptation and moral reckoning. Goodman Brown enters the wilderness, expecting to confront his inner demons, but it becomes a hallucinatory, nightmarish landscape, where the boundaries between good and evil become disturbingly blurred. Here, the wilderness is not a refuge but a testing ground for the human soul, revealing darker sides of human nature that are hidden in the confines of civilization. Wilderness becomes the catalyst for physical and emotional separation from the influences of one’s environment so that true introspection can occur, allowing one to find authentic truth of oneself.
 

Wilderness Preservation and Conservation

     The Cambridge Dictionary defines preservation as, “the act of keeping something the same or of preventing it from being damaged” while conservation is defined as, “carefully using valuable natural substances that exist in limited amounts in order to make certain that they will be available for as long a time as possible.” Preservationist advocates for the establishment of protected areas, such as national parks and wildlife refuges, where ecosystems can function without the pressures of development, resource extraction, or pollution. Conservationists argue that while it is essential to utilize natural resources, it must be done in a way that does not compromise the ability of future generations to access those resources. John Muir and Theodore Roosevelt are pivotal figures in this discourse, as their advocacy for wilderness preservation/conservation laid the groundwork for modern environmentalism. 
     John Muir, a key proponent of preservation, viewed nature as a

sacred entity deserving of protection for its own sake. His writings

emphasized the spiritual and aesthetic value of wilderness, arguing

that untouched landscapes should be preserved to maintain their

natural beauty and ecological integrity. His advocacy for preservation

was instrumental in the establishment of national parks, including

Yosemite and Sequoia. He believed that wilderness areas should be

protected from human exploitation, arguing that nature has intrinsic

value beyond its utility to humans. Muir's writings often evoke a sense of reverence for the natural world, encouraging people to connect with nature on a spiritual level. His philosophy laid the groundwork for the modern environmental movement, emphasizing the importance of preserving wild spaces for their beauty and ecological significance.
     Theodore Roosevelt, who played a significant role in the conservation movement, believed in the careful management of natural resources to ensure their longevity. He championed the establishment of national forests and the implementation of policies that balanced resource use with ecological health. Roosevelt's approach to conservation was more pragmatic, focusing on the sustainable management of natural resources. He established the

                    United States Forest Service and signed into law the Antiquities Act, which

                    allowed for the protection of national monuments. Roosevelt recognized that 

                    responsible resource management was essential for the nation's economic

                    health and the well-being of its citizens. His vision of conservation sought to

                    balance human needs with environmental protection, advocating for a

                    stewardship model that would ensure the longevity of natural resources.
                         The differing philosophies of preservation and conservation reflect

                    broader cultural values regarding nature. With those two earlier definitions applied, the modern concepts of wilderness are a juxtaposition of perspectives that reflect a complex interplay between human values, environmental stewardship, and the ongoing challenges posed by industrialization and urbanization, losing much of the sense of true sacredness. The wilderness is a “thing” to be managed. Preservation aligns with a romanticized view of wilderness as a pristine, untouched landscape, while conservation acknowledges the reality of human impact and the necessity of resource management. This interplay raises questions about how society values nature—whether as a resource to be exploited or as a sacred space to be protected. This ethical debate further complicates the issues of social justice, as marginalized communities may rely on natural resources for their livelihoods.
 

My Wilderness: Bridging the Real and the Imagined

     As someone who walks a spiritual path that aligns with honoring the cycles of life, nature, and my Ancestors, I resonate deeply with the idea of wilderness as a place where the divine reveals itself. For me, the wilderness is not just a backdrop for human activity, but a living, breathing entity that holds wisdom and spirit. It is a liminal space—one foot in the realm of nature, one foot in the realm of myth and the unseen. The wild places of the world I have had the privilege of being allowed access (everything from desert, to grasslands, to forests) are sacred ground where we can rediscover our connection to the earth and the cycles of life. My spiritual practices, with their reverence for the natural world, remind me that we are not separate from the wilderness, but a part of it, and this unity is something that needs to be nurtured, not controlled or exploited.
     In many ways, my understanding of wilderness aligns with the Indigenous worldview—seeing it not as something outside of myself but as something inherently part of my own existence. At the same time, I also recognize the spiritual value of wilderness as described by Emerson and Thoreau, as a place where I can retreat from the chaos of daily life and reconnect with something greater than myself.  I do not see conservation and preservation as being mutually exclusive. I believe they are both tools to be used to elevate both ourselves and the wilderness to a balance where both our needs are met.
 

Wilderness as a Mirror

     Wilderness has always been a reflection of our values, fears, and desires. Whether it is seen as a dangerous frontier, a spiritual sanctuary, or a place of ecological crisis, wilderness is never simply a “place” in the conventional sense. It is a realm where humans meet the divine, where we confront the wildness within ourselves, and where we find our deepest truths. For me, and for many others, wilderness remains both a real and imagined space—one that offers not only physical sustenance but also spiritual wisdom. It is both an external landscape and an internal journey. And perhaps, in a time when we are so distanced from the natural world, this wilderness—this sacred, wild space—has never been more needed.