The Experience of Pilgrimage as a Transforming Psychological Narrative

Abstract

Psychological theories of narrative identity emphasize the role of narrative because narrative reveals subjectivity (Riessman, 1993) and structures experience (McAdams, 2001). While narrative competence unfolds developmentally (McAdams 2013), narrative identity unfolds as it integrates new experiences with one’s narrative self-consistency (Arciero & Guidano, 2000). Psychopathology is conceptualized as the failure of one’s narrative to maintain one’s inner and social coherence (McLeod, 1997). Narrative psychotherapies were developed to assist the processes of narrative transformation (McLeod, 1997). Pilgrimage can be conceptualized both as a transformative narrative and narrative therapy. To demonstrate this, 25 pilgrim memoirs of the Camino de Santiago were chosen randomly for thematic analysis according to thematics drawn from constructivist and social constructionist theories of narrative therapy. The pilgrim memoirs revealed many psychotherapeutic changes produced by the pilgrimage experience. These psychotherapeutic changes are changes to narrative identity, including (a) changes in the representation of self and other and in the constitution of social reality; (b) reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety; (c) the resolution of trauma; (d) the ability to grieve personal loss; (e) and changes to professional identity.