5 People Share Their Spiritual Experiences At Burning Man

Burning Man is home to intricate art, elaborate costumes, and even an Orgy Dome, but it’s also a site where some people go to connect with their spirituality. According to the nonprofit the Burning Man Project, almost half of the Burning Man community — 45.4% — identify as spiritual, but not religious. An additional 5.4% identify as religious, with various Christian denominations, Judaism, and Buddhism being the most common faiths. 

The Ten Principles of Burning Man include “radical inclusion” and “radical self-expression,” which allow for many types of spiritual experiences. Every year since 1986, thousands of people gather together and form the temporary Black Rock City, where they live, create art, and form a community. After nine days, they burn a large wooden "Man," as well as many other pieces of temporary art, dismantle their camps, and go, leaving no trace.

While some people go to Burning Man to seek out a spiritual experience, others are surprised by what they find there. One attendee, Daniel Saynt, tells Refinery29 that Burners "are an amazing representation of the values of love and acceptance, so I'd imagine it difficult for someone to go there and not have a spiritual experience."

Some Burners feel a connection to a higher power, while others revel in the feeling of acceptance and sense of community. We talked to attendees about their spiritual experiences at Burning Man.