Looking for past pilgrims

[Leslie Mac]

Hi I am a doctoral student writing my dissertation on the healing that takes place on the Camino. This is a real thread. If you have walked the Camino, I would love for you to help me by completing the 10-15 minute survey. Thank you. If you want to help click on the link. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MNTJL9K

Thank you. Leslie

 

[SabsP]

Hi Leslie and welcome here.
I hope you come back here after the survey is done and give us an idea about the results.

One small thing : in the introduction you say " El Camino de Santiago ". Well ,there is no such thing an El because there are many Caminos to Santiago where the Camino Frances is the best known .

And the question : Years in your present Faith Community : I'm Catholic through basptism but don't visit a Church anymore : does this make it none or more than 15 year?

You mention " healing " alot : do you have a certain definition in mind because people could interprete this rather personally?

Marital status : no option for long relationship but not married?



All the best.

 

[HeidiL]

Extremely dodgy questionnaire, you really should put a redirect early on, ensuring that people who don't need healing (or don't believe in it) don't reply.
"No longer seek healing" - I never have!

(I make questionnaires and work with statistics for a living.)

 

[VNwalking]

Welcome, Leslie,
I only completed part of the questionnaire, and then stopped, because the questions were not relevant (at all) to why I walk. The walking is definitely a spiritual practice, but it has nothing to do with healing.
And there was never an option to say 'Not applicable.'
But there may be people here who can give you the data you seek.

 

[Robo]

Also gave up. Rather a strange survey, sorry.
You need to explain what you mean by healing.
I did not embark on the journey seeking ‘healing’
But it was a deeply spiritual journey.

The survey is written from the point of view of someone with very specific religious convictions/beliefs. You need to make this clear, as it probably won’t apply or be relevant to most Pilgrims....

I think you need to walk the Camino to understand it before trying to analyze it

 

[Dorpie]

Hi Leslie.

Welcome to the forum. I think your research could turn out to be really interesting and while I don't want to come across as critical, a sure sign that someone is about to come across as critical might I suggest a few tweaks/things to consider as I fear I am having similar problems to others.

Q15 You ask about strength. Are we talking physical, emotional or spiritual or some other kind?

Then there are questions about healing, some qualified as spiritual, some physical and others not all, eg. Q23.

Q25 Without a base level question about religious belief, whether or not my faith is stronger now is somewhat moot. If I say neutral that could mean either that I remain an Atheist or a passionate believer.

Q27 A greater sense of belonging to what? The church, society, the hiking community?

Q29, 31&36 assume a search for healing that may not be there.

I'd be very happy to complete the survey once I'm a little more comfortable about the above.

Good luck,

Rob.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

my first glance made me think you were "looking for PEST pilgrims!"
...and here I had a whole list to share!

 

[Leslie Mac]

Hi Leslie and welcome here.
I hope you come back here after the survey is done and give us an idea about the results.

One small thing : in the intoduction you say " El Camino de Santiago ". Well ,there is no such thing al El because there are many Caminos to Santiago where the Camino Frances is the best known .

And the question : Years in your present Faith Community : I'm Catholic through basptism but don't visit a Church anymore : does this make it none or more than 15 year?

You mention " healing " alot : do you have a certain definition in mind because people could interprete this rather personally?

Marital status : no option for long relationship but not married?



All the best.

Thanks so much for the input. I recognize that there are flaws and shortcomings with my survey. I’m hoping you can do answer the questions as best you can. In my final analysis I will note these concerns which are valid. I will definitely share the outcome of the survey once I make an analysis. Thank you for the warm welcome!! My intention is to try and understand the healing that is or is not taking place on the Camino. I am a clinical counselor so I am trying to find out if walking this pilgrimage is more special in terms of changing someone or helping them heal and grow. I really don’t have an agenda other than to find out if there is something special happening in terms of making people better. If you cannot relate to the questions then rank them low on the scale. Thank you all for the input. I really value it!! Leslie

 

[C clearly]

Thanks for coming back, and staying with us!

Can you answer the question about what you do mean by "healing"? Many of us find joy, satisfaction and discovery, but are not recovering from an adverse condition. Maybe that's what you mean by strength or growth, but those terms are also quite meaningless in themselves as they depend on comparison with an initial condition, which you don't ask about.

 

[Robo]

Thanks for coming back, and staying with us!

Can you answer the question about what you do mean by "healing"? Many of us find joy, satisfaction and discovery, but are not recovering from an adverse condition. Maybe that's what you mean by strength or growth, but those terms are also quite meaningless in themselves as they depend on comparison with an initial condition, which you don't ask about.

That has me confused too.

The term 'healing' in the context of the survey seems to have some quite specific religious connection, but I am not really sure what it means. Only someone with the same specific beliefs as the author would 'get it' I think.

Does it assume that most Pilgrims are in some way 'broken' and undertake the Camino in order to heal?

Is the survey really only designed for those that require 'healing', and so should not be completed by others?

Sorry, it's just not clear to me.

Maybe the survey needs an introduction that basically says.......
"If you answer Yes to 5 or more of these profile questions, please undertake the survey?"
If not, have a nice day

For example.
Are you religious?
Are you Christian?
Or other religion / belief system (blank field)
Do you understand the term spiritual/religious healing in the context of XXXX XXX
Did you walk the Camino for religious reasons?
Did you walk the Camino because you were emotionally or spiritually hurt in some way?
etc etc

Sorry to be picky but I have done a lot of surveys in my time, in business and also at post grad study.
If the survey is not well designed the results will be of little value.....

Is the target market for the survey clearly defined?
i.e. on a scale from devoutly religious 'Pilgrims' to Hikers on a Holiday.
All of whom are legitimate and welcome of course

Look forward to seeing the results though.

 

[Sailor]

Done taking the survey, all questions answered. Good luck y que la luz de Dios alumbre su camino.

 

[SabsP]

@Leslie Mac : I don't doubt your intention is noble but the form of the survey is very questionable. For the reasons other posters here already mentioned.

Good luck with your future Camino where " Healing " might happen or not.

 

[Stivandrer]

I also feel that as I did not experience a healing but many other benefits/ feelings/ strenghts as I walked and after, I cannot therefore answer specifically ...
I chose not to send my sheet as I did serve a lot of negatives when I instead wanted to specify What exactly I felt...

 

[David Fletcher]

Hi I am a doctoral student writing my dissertation on the healing that takes place on the Camino. This is a real thread. If you have walked the Camino, I would love for you to help me by completing the 10-15 minute survey.

I, like others, question the emphasis on healing -- phyisical? emotional? spiritual? -- and arbitrarily used synonyms like "encouraging," "strengthening" or "endurance" to help me make meaning of some of the questions. Because I am Anglican (Episcopalian in American parlance) and a priest, the theology around healing is holistic and not limited to physical, emotional or spiritual.

Buen Camino!

David in Nova Scotia

 

[JMcCarthy]

Hi Leslie,

In completing the survey I found myself interpreting “healing” as “consolation.” On my two Caminos, I experienced several signs that God was with me and was hearing my pleas.

Best wishes with your survey analysis,
Jim from Boston

 

[Older Guy]

Thanks so much for the input. I recognize that there are flaws and shortcomings with my survey. I’m hoping you can do answer the questions as best you can. In my final analysis I will note these concerns which are valid. I will definitely share the outcome of the survey once I make an analysis. Thank you for the warm welcome!! My intention is to try and understand the healing that is or is not taking place on the Camino. I am a clinical counselor so I am trying to find out if walking this pilgrimage is more special in terms of changing someone or helping them heal and grow. I really don’t have an agenda other than to find out if there is something special happening in terms of making people better. If you cannot relate to the questions then rank them low on the scale. Thank you all for the input. I really value it!! Leslie

I am going to be a little blunt. I think you don't understand how a Camino pilgrimage differs from Lourdes in France, St. Anne's in Quebec, and Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal. I have been to all. In Lourdes and St. Anne's the obvious signs of miraculous medical condition healing are on display everywhere. That is not what the Cathedral at the end of the Camino is about. At St. Anne's the crutches, walkers, canes left by people miraculously cured are everywhere within the Cathedral, it is why people go there. At Lourdes, invalids literally on their death beds are wheeled to get the waters and the miracle cures are well documented.

The Camino is a much different kind of pilgrimage. When done for religious purposes, it is about healing one's soul not one's body....or at least that was how it was for me. After I picked up my Compostella, I went to Confession & Mass, I asked the priest to pray for me and for God's forgiveness. He asked me how far I had gone as a Pilgrim, why I did my pilgrimage, about myself, about my sins, about my penance, if I repented my sins, prayed with me and gave me God's love and forgiveness. It was incredibly moving for me. This was an Indulgence I earned in the Year of Holy Mercy declared by the Pope.

It was a very religious experience and not just within the Cathedral. I brought three small stones from the USA to leave at key point on the Camino. One from Las Vegas to symbolize sins of greed, and sins of the flesh. One from my backyard to symbolize the temptations all around me. The final stone was from a work project to symbolize the work temptations we all face. By leaving these stone I symbolically cleansed myself along my pilgrimage. I went to Mass and prayed at several churches and Cathedrals along my Camino and meditated during a few scenic rest breaks. I wore a St. James medallion around my neck during my pilgrimage. I did not undertake my Camino to heal bad knees or medical conditions. I did my Camino because I was spiritually called to it. It did change me emotionally. I felt cleansed in many ways.

When some people ask you what you mean by healing it may be because they, like me, are familiar with the medical miracles that take place at other pilgrimage destinations. The Camino is different.

 

[J Willhaus]

Hi Leslie,
Hang in there! As a professor who advises doctoral students from time to time, I know how important this is for you. A few things for us all to remember...
A dissertation, although important, is in practical terms, just a really big school paper/project. It demonstrates that a student is learning how to conduct research and can include many things such as perhaps in this instance how to construct a survey, how to analyze results of interviews, surveys, etc. Depending on the method chosen, Leslie may be trying determine the meaning of healing from the perspective of pilgrims or possibly to identify how many pilgrims sought healing at all, etc. We don't know enough about the methods she/he has chosen based on her initial post and that probably isn't important. In the end, she will take the data she is able to collect and present it to a group of professors who will be less interested in the final answers and more interested in whether she has prepared and analyzed it correctly and what her future steps for study in this area will be. What she/he learns along the process will be valuable in helping shape a direction for further inquiry. It will also guide the development of future surveys, etc. Normally if her/his committee and the ethics review board at the university has approved the survey it can't be changed mid-investigation without a lot of additional red tape.
Janet

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I think you don't understand how a Camino pilgrimage differs from Lourdes in France, St. Anne's in Quebec, and Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal.

On the other hand, I don't think you understand how research evaluates different aspects of an issue.

Or how you know what she understands... It's a questionnaire, not a conclusion.

 

[CaminoDebrita]

Welcome, Leslie,
I only completed part of the questionnaire, and then stopped, because the questions were not relevant (at all) to why I walk. The walking is definitely a spiritual practice, but it has nothing to do with healing.
And there was never an option to say 'Not applicable.'
But there may be people here who can give you the data you seek.

I got about ten questions in and stopped. I didn't connect with the healing part either and it felt repetitive. It was a little too God, relationship with God, healing from God for me. Sorry.

 

[Phil W]

Hi Leslie,

I completed the survey and felt it was just fine. Perhaps it was because it resonates with me as I did experience healing while walking the Camino Frances. Prayer for others became the norm. Did the Camino heal me? I don't really know the answer to that question. Did my faith heal me? Again, I don't really know the answer. I choose to believe that walking the Camino provided the time for me to focus on others and on my personal faith growth and healing. It was more than a spiritual time for me, it was a time to build my faith.

Buen Camino!

Phil

 

[Older Guy]

On the other hand, I don't think you understand how research evaluates different aspects of an issue.

Or how you know what she understands... It's a questionnaire, not a conclusion.

Actually, I have two post graduate degrees and helped/watched my wife earn her doctorate. She is now a Director at a nationally ranked University. What I have seen is that a PhD is suppose to advance the field of learning and be publishable at a major conference or Journal. My extended family has 5 PhD's that get together for the holidays. Most of them supervise other PhD candidates and we do talk shop. I was also chair of a major university Department Advisory Committee for over a decade and have good idea of a PhD process.

My wife's doctorate used both a combination of questionnaires that were cross checked against University records/metric to advance the state of knowledge on a tightly defined topic.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Actually, I have two post graduate degrees and helped/watched my wife earn her doctorate.

Then you have heard "praise in public, criticize in private." You could use a Conversation instead of trying to humiliate the original poster.

 

[grayland]

Perhaps this would be a good time to remind all posters the continued strong personal remarks will not be accepted.

Discussion of the original survey in courteous form may continue. Remarks directed at other posters will not continue.

 

[Leslie Mac]

Thanks so much for the input. I recognize that there are flaws and shortcomings with my survey. I’m hoping you can do answer the questions as best you can. In my final analysis I will note these concerns which are valid. I will definitely share the outcome of the survey once I make an analysis. Thank you for the warm welcome!! My intention is to try and understand the healing that is or is not taking place on the Camino. I am a clinical counselor so I am trying to find out if walking this pilgrimage is more special in terms of changing someone or helping them heal and grow. I really don’t have an agenda other than to find out if there is something special happening in terms of making people better. If you cannot relate to the questions then rank them low on the scale. Thank you all for the input. I really value it!! Leslie

Hi I am a doctoral student writing my dissertation on the healing that takes place on the Camino. This is a real thread. If you have walked the Camino, I would love for you to help me by completing the 10-15 minute survey. Thank you. If you want to help click on the link. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MNTJL9K

Thank you. Leslie

Happy New year everyone,
I wanted to thank all of you for responding to my survey. I cannot comment on the questions you have asked or the issues you brought up until I have closed the survey, which will be happening within the next two weeks. I love all of the dialogue and am excited that the survey is generating this amount of dialogue. Please feel free to pass along the survey link to other past pilgrims. The more responses I receive the better the data.
Thank you again,
Leslie

 

[Leslie Mac]

Hi I am a doctoral student writing my dissertation on the healing that takes place on the Camino. This is a real thread. If you have walked the Camino, I would love for you to help me by completing the 10-15 minute survey. Thank you. If you want to help click on the link. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MNTJL9K

Thank you. Leslie

Happy New year to all of you! I wanted to thank all of you for your input, comments and participation in the survey. I will be closing the survey on January 10th so if you know any past pilgrims please feel free to share the link. Once I have closed the survey I will be happy to discuss the survey with you! I have had a great response and look forward to writing the dissertation and walking my own Camino!
Thanks again,
Leslie