[01:11.88]Labyrinths have existed for well over 4,000 years.
[01:16.72]Labyrinths and labyrinthine symbols have been found in regions as diverse as modern-day Turkey, Ireland, Greece, and India.
[01:26.88]There are various designs of labyrinth but what they all have in common is a winding spiral path which leads to a central area.
[01:36.14]There is one starting point at the entrance and the goal is to reach the central area.
[01:42.44]Finding your way through a labyrinth involves many twists and turns, but it’s not possible to get lost as there is only one single path.
[01:52.59]In modern times, the word labyrinth has taken on a different meaning and is often used as a synonym for a maze.
[02:01.06]A maze is quite different as it is a kind of puzzle with an intricate network of paths.
[02:08.44]Mazes became fashionable in the 15th and 16th centuries in Europe, and can still be found in the gardens of great houses and palaces.
[02:17.41]The paths are usually surrounded by thick, high hedges so that it’s not possible to see over them.
[02:23.91]Entering a maze usually involves getting lost a few times before using logic to work out the pattern and find your way to the centre and then out again.
[02:34.92]There are lots of dead ends and paths which lead you back to where you started.
[02:39.75]The word ‘maze’ is believed to come from a Scandinavian word for a state of confusion.
[02:46.06]This is where the word ‘amazing’ comes from.
[02:49.93]Labyrinths, on the other hand, have a very different function.
[02:55.11]Although people now often refer to things they find complicated as labyrinths, this is not how they were seen in the past.
[03:03.68]The winding spiral of the labyrinth has been used for centuries as a metaphor for life’s journey.
[03:10.89]It served as a spiritual reminder that there is purpose and meaning to our lives and helped to give people a sense of direction.
[03:19.59]Labyrinths are thought to encourage a feeling of calm and have been used as a meditation and prayer tool in many cultures over many centuries.
[03:29.75]The earliest examples of the labyrinth spiral pattern have been found carved into stone, from Sardinia to Scandinavia, from Arizona to India to Africa.
[03:41.80]In Europe, these spiral carvings date from the late Bronze Age.
[03:46.64]The Native American Pima tribe wove baskets with a circular labyrinth design that depicted their own cosmology.
[03:55.51]In Ancient Greece, the labyrinth spiral was used on coins around four thousand years ago.
[04:02.79]Labyrinths made of mosaics were commonly found in bathhouses, villas and tombs throughout the Roman Empire.
[04:11.08]In Northern Europe, there were actual physical labyrinths designed for walking on.
[04:17.29]These were cut into the turf or grass, usually in a circular pattern.
[04:22.21]The origin of these walking labyrinths remains unclear, but they were probably used for fertility rites which may date back thousands of years.
[04:31.54]Eleven examples of turf labyrinths survive today, including the largest one at Saffron Walden, England, which used to have a large tree in the middle of it.
[04:46.39]More recently labyrinths have experienced something of a revival.
[04:51.04]Some believe that walking a labyrinth promotes healing and mindfulness, and there are those who believe in its emotional and physical benefits, which include slower breathing and a restored sense of balance and perspective.
[05:04.52]This idea has become so popular that labyrinths have been laid into the floors of spas, wellness centres and even prisons in recent years.
[05:15.49]A pamphlet at Colorado Children’s Hospital informs patients that ‘walking a labyrinth can often calm people in the midst of a crisis’.
[05:25.48]And apparently, it’s not only patients who benefit.
[05:29.16]Many visitors find walking a labyrinth less stressful than sitting in a corridor or waiting room.
[05:35.45]Some doctors even walk the labyrinth during their breaks.
[05:39.38]In some hospitals, patients who can’t walk can have a paper ‘finger labyrinth’ brought to their bed.
[05:46.31]The science behind the theory is a little sketchy, but there are dozens of small-scale studies which support claims about the benefits of labyrinths.
[05:55.09]For example, one study found that walking a labyrinth provided ‘short-term calming, relaxation, and relief from anxiety’ for Alzheimer’s patients.
[06:05.76]So, what is it about labyrinths that makes their appeal so universal? Well ...
