Carl Jung wrote that “to be “normal” is the ideal aim for the unsuccessful.”  Normalcy, in other words, is to live a life of mediocrity. He was further of the belief that such averageness could render the distinctive yearning for personal wholeness dormant. Many individuals seeking spiritual wholeness turn to traveling as it is commonly believed that when we travel, the labels of our daily lives fall away. Our identities are rendered fluid and we become mere travelers.  The world lays scattered with destinations of vast spiritual significance and being able to explore them would make for substantial gratification. The USA also boasts a number of sacred locations with one of them, Crater Lake, situated approximately 760 miles to the North-west of Utah in the state of Oregon.

The origins of Crater Lake

About 50 miles from Medford in South Oregon, lays one of America’s most profound destinations, Crater Lake, a tarn so mystical that Carl Jung himself would likely have been intrigued by its other-worldliness. According to scientists, Mount Mazama imploded almost 8,000 years ago after a number of calamitous eruptions to form a volcanic depression which eventually became the lake. As legend would have it, however, the lake was created centuries ago during a battle between the Chiefs of the above and Below Worlds that completely destroyed the mountain that once stood there, leaving behind nothing but the sparkling lake.

The spiritual significance of the lake

The origins of Crater Lake is of great relevance to us as humans, our human lives often emulating this archetypal form as we journey towards personal wholeness. A personal disaster such as financial ruin, lost love, and death or disease can destroy the world we know. If, however, we practice mindfulness and have the gods bestow luck upon us, a new world can rise from the ashes of the one that was demolished, just as Crater Lake was created out of the ruins of Mount Mazama.

Many visitors to the lake speak of an electromagnetic energy flowing from it, one that is on par with some of the world’s more renowned sacred destinations such as Peru and Tibet. They are seemingly drawn to unearthly, all-pervasive silence that also makes the surroundings of the lake popular for meditation practices. The native Klamath tribes of days gone by had a more portentous view of the lake, warning that staring into its depths for too long will invite lasting sorrow and death into your life.

Regardless of what stance is taken, Crater Lake’s spiritual atmosphere has the astounding ability to prompt a journey to self-discovery, healing and, in good time, wholeness. Traveling to a destination with a spiritual significance outside of Utah is not, by any means, a prerequisite for experiencing personal fulfillment. It could, in actual fact, be the boost needed to propel you forward on your own personal voyage towards becoming the best version of yourself and to live a life filled with purpose.

~Jane Sandwood
Freelance Writer

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