The parellels that can be drawn between full self discovery and the desert are endless. Self discovery comes through depriving the self of the body’s usual nourishments. Not to a dangerous extent, but to a useful extent. What has been found is that those who deny their body’s usual sustenance bring forward the life of their metaphysical being, their soul. Depriving the body and nourishing the soul through meditation, spirit walks and the likes is an old tradition of sajes, prophets and wise men. When we ingest food for the soul instead of food for the body, we become more in touch with our truest self.

How does this relate to the desert, one might ask? The desert is where these said sajes, prophets and wise men are known to go in order to deprive themselves because it is a physically deprived place. The desert does not have water to spare. Most days of the year, it is as dry as a bone. This basic element essential to natural life is hardly present. Similarly, the provision of food, shade and shelter is also extremely limited. One goes into the desert expecting to navigate the harshest of conditions. Therefore, the philosophy of depriving the body in order to engage the spirit naturally goes hand in hand with the environment of the desert.

This blogger is by no means recommending that people should wander in the desert without water or provisions. This has been known to take the lives of many people. This article merely points out the value of entering the desert in order to seek growth for that part of our identities that is not of this earth. One should be very physically and mentally prepared for an excursion of this nature. Do not attempt anything like this without mental and physical training. However, if one can properly equip themselves to deal with the hardships of the desert, immersing one’s self within it for the purpose of self discovery can be highly rewarding.