Space and Place - Spencer Beeson

Space is everywhere all the time. It is impossible to have non-space in the know world. According to Gretel Ehrlich, “Space has a spiritual equivalent and can heal what is divided and burdensome in us.” So all space has the ability heal, most likely sacredness. The problem with space is that it is so small. A big space would just be an abundance of many small spaces. Therefore, a big space can be considered a ‘place’. Place is any collection of spaces, so a place would also inherit the spiritual characteristics that Gretel Ehrlich described above. When a place becomes spiritual, or “sacred”, it is often referred to as a “power place”. Belden Lane says, “The place presents itself as more than merely the sum of its parts.” (Lane 45) This means that the spiritual qualities of space best come out when they unite together in a place; and although space has spiritual qualities, they cannot truly be experienced without place.