The Humanized and Sacred Space

Gaston Bachelard wrote, in his book "The Poetry of Space", that metaphysics is rooted in geometry. Whether we like it or not, there is a basic spatial quality in thought. Man exists in space much more than he exists in time. We define ourselves in the expressions of our space, much more than in any other way. The combination of the concepts ''outside'' and ''inside'' created a dialectic of division. This is a clear geometry that blinds us once we bring it into action in reality. It is very similar to the dialectic of "yes" and "no", which decide everything. If one is not careful, it becomes the basis for images that control all positive and negative thoughts. Contrary to this, these concepts, because of their proximity, are also in intimate relations. They are always willing to change direction and convert their hostility. As a result, in the images of space we are in an area where exaggeration and reduction are easy and common. We live through reducing and exaggerating them. We strive to define existence and by doing so, elevate all situations to create a super-situation. The dialectic of ''here'' and ''there'' has thus been elevated to an absolute level, whereby these two unfortunate adverbs are adorned with the uncontrolled powers of a determined being.

In his book "Air and Dreams," Bachelard wrote that the landscape is a process of witty changes, in which the imaginary is present in the reality. It lead and amplify the powers of the soul. The real journey on earth is a journey to the imaginary land. In real psychology, imagination is primarily a form of spiritual mobility, of the best, most vivid and exciting kind. There is nothing more correct than to grant the land, which mobilizes all our forces, to be employed in it, an imagination that will elevate it from the level of materialism and give it a life of its own. We experience the face of the earth through the ability to renew our hearts and minds. Imaginary life with real laws controls its images, and they create an invitation for a journey, which we feel within us as feelings of liberation and relief. Imagination is not a condition; it is the embodiment of human experience.

Rocks that resemble the human figure, whether wholly or partially, are one of the most common phenomena in nature and are some of the best attractions for humankind. Around the world there are many sites where such forms appear, and there are many that are concentrated in one place, such as canyons. One of the most famous places in the world of human forms carved in the rock is the Red Rock Canyon of Petra.

For the Chinese there is even more significance to the forms of mankind in the rocks, since according to ancient Chinese religion the origin of the gods is in the mountains cliffs. In the heart of the Imperial Palace in the Forbidden City of Beijing are gardens with a number of large natural limestone rocks, pierced by many natural holes in a variety of shapes, whose purpose is to evoke the human imagination of the connection between the human figure and the landscapes of nature.

Martin Gray writes that throughout the ages, many cultures have described the geographical space in which they existed, and expressed this in a variety of ways. One expression of these concepts was the establishment of holy places.

Perhaps the oldest form of sacred geography is that of the Aborigines of Australia.

According to their ancient legends, in the mythological period of the beginning of the world, known as the 'dream', different creatures in the form of totem animals and humans emerged from the surface of the earth and began to roam the earth. They wandered across the earth, forming features of the landscape through everyday activities such as birth, play, singing, fishing, hunting, marriage and death. At the end of each dream these characteristics became clear as stones, and the bodies of their forefathers became hills, rocks, caves, lakes and other landscapes.

Prominent places, such as Ayers Rock, have become holy places. The Aborigines followed the paths of their fathers' dreams. The paths that the totem fathers passed through the landscape were called dream trails, or songs, and they connected the holy places with special powers. The mythological births of these ancestors gave the Aborigines a sacred geography, a tradition of pilgrimage, and a nomadic way of life for more than forty thousand years, making their culture the most lasting in the world.

The ''elephant and fish'' rock in Petra, the world's number one tourist site, all of which are natural anthropomorphic forms carved in the canyon's walls, alongside which the Nabataean curved monuments.

The cafe on the shore of the lake is an illustration of a dialectic between 'inside' and 'outside'

  

A rock garden in the heart of the Imperial Palace in the Forbidden City of Beijing

  

The Ouluru is a large, isolated desert rock. It is about 330 meters high and the base diameter is about 9 kilometers. It's the world's largest monolith. It is located almost exactly in the geographical center of Australia. It is sacred to the Aboriginal population.