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A rite of passage is a marker of time and space in a person's life.
In the personal realm, it presents itself as a portal that opens, where time—past, present, and future—unites its power of intentions, dreams, and achievements. Spaces already occupied are invited to integrate, offering the conditions for the new position to be occupied.
Often, rites of passage are preceded by very rigorous exercises, through which the mind is radically detached from attitudes, attachments, or patterns that represent a past stage. These exercises are designed to introduce the spirit to the forms and feelings appropriate to the new condition.
Joseph Campbell, in studying the myths and heroic narratives of different cultures, shows that heroes, throughout their journeys, go through processes that are, in essence, rites of passage. It all begins with a calling—an inner or outer invitation that breaks the known order and announces that it is no longer possible to remain as before. Faced with this calling, the hero goes through a stage of renunciation, leaving behind securities, identities, and bonds that belong to an earlier stage of life.
Upon accepting the call, assistance arises, often described as supernatural, which may manifest as a mentor, a symbol, an inner strength, or subtle guidance. This support allows the hero to cross the threshold and temporarily withdraw from the community, entering a period of isolation, silence, and trial. This withdrawal, which today may manifest as a retreat for self-discovery, creates the conditions for the initiation process.
The retreat is therefore not an escape from life, but a temporary suspension of daily life so that something essential can be seen clearly. Generally, it is a rigorous exercise, as it requires conscious renunciations. Among these is the renunciation of what we call the "vital": instinctive impulses, excessive stimulation, and the immediate pursuit of pleasure, control, or validation. The vital corresponds to a more primary level of the ego, which tends to react, defend itself, and assert itself automatically.
Therefore, many traditional retreats take the form of initiatory practices, such as silence and fasting. These practices are not random: they act directly on the vital. Fasting, for example, works on renouncing the most basic impulses, related to survival and immediate gratification. By temporarily suspending food intake or reducing excesses, the individual is invited to observe their conditioning, desires, and reactions, instead of simply obeying them.
Silence, in turn, creates the conditions for observation. By suspending speech and the constant need to express oneself, space opens up to observe thoughts, the body, and internal states with greater clarity. This recollection fosters a state of presence, in which it is not necessary to react immediately or assert oneself at every moment. Together, these practices create a conducive field for initiation, as they reduce the interference of the vital and allow other layers of consciousness to become accessible.
It is in this liminal space that the true rite of passage occurs. Old ways of perceiving oneself and the world dissolve, while a new consciousness begins to organize itself. The individual then receives a "breath," a frequency or knowledge that reorganizes their relationship with themselves, with others, and with the whole.
The journey, however, is not completed in isolation. After the transformation comes the return—an essential stage of the journey. What has been learned needs to be reintegrated into daily life. What is brought back can manifest itself on different scales: a new way of being in the family, a more conscious stance within the local community, a leadership that sustains and guides a group, or a contribution that reaches a wider community, when that individual becomes a reference in society.
In the collective sphere, the rite of passage represents the recognition of this new place occupied. It strengthens social bonds and creates a safe space for the individual to perform their new role with awareness, responsibility, and commitment. When someone returns transformed and is recognized for it, it is not only the individual who benefits—the entire social fabric is reorganized.
Therefore, the rite of passage is also a moment of celebration, both individually and collectively. When a person takes their place with awareness, responsibility, and commitment, everyone wins.
The more consciously we approach rites of passage, the more "connected" we feel in life's situations, because the main guidelines we need to situate ourselves relate to the time we are in and the space we occupy.
Resuming the habit of honoring and celebrating life's major milestones through rites of passage and self-discovery retreats is a profound and effective way to make our lives and relationships increasingly healthier.
