What is a Thin Place?

Some of you may know instantly what I’m talking about. There are many definitions for thin places. These are places where spirit and form seem to meet. Most thin places have a mystical quality and others say this is a place where there is an absence of people or buildings. Some people say it’s a quiet and secluded place in nature and that is also possible, but it is much more than that! I have had many experiences in what is called a thin place . I’m going to share a couple of them with you. I also talk about this on my video.

There is a difference between a mirage and a thin place. A Mirage is a naturally occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays bend via refraction to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky. The word comes to English via the French word mirer and from the Latin mirari, meaning "to look at, to wonder at."

When you experience a thin place you may feel suspended in time--- and possibly without words to describe the experience. We might say physical life overlaps unseen energies of the spiritual realm.

The Irish people believe fairies, elementals or spirits of all kinds are everywhere in these thin places. They are likely to appear in sacred places. Most of my experiences have taken place in Ireland which is a mystical place. There is natural beauty and you can travel far without seeing evidence of people or buildings. The Irish protect their sacred places and do not allow commercial building near them. Something feels different in a thin place. It’s almost like walking into an ancient church and feeling a presence, and sensing tranquility and quiet. Thin places are usually outdoors and not confined to a closed space although this is not always true.

The Irish will never move a standing stone. I’ve included a picture of standing stones in this post.

One of my first experiences with a thin place occurred at a Saint Bridget well in Ireland. I have also felt the sense of a thinning of the veil when Saint Germain has materialized.

When you’re in a thin place you almost feel as if you’ve been transported to another location. It’s a lovely feeling. Some people say it’s where heaven and earth meet and I believe that.

I have also experienced this at the standing stones in Ireland and place called the Burren. This place is not heavily inhabited by people and the terrain is rocky and almost barren of trees in many places. I got up at dawn and walked out into an open field. My camera was with me and I started taking pictures. I’m including one of them here. You can see the pink orbs!

In the United States I have not encountered too many of these places, but based on some of the stories that I’ve been told by friends, I would say some of the holy places in Arizona and California ( Mount Shasta) qualify as thin places.

We might think the woods could be a good place to locate a thin place but if the area around it is heavily inhabited by people it would not carry this very sensitive energy.

Another trip to Ireland brought me to the grave of the great Queen Maeve. It was on top of a very high hill and took hours to get to the top. At the top of the hill was a pile of stones. I climbed up on the rough stones to the grave on my hands and knees with my last bit of energy. As I laid my hands down on the stones I looked down and saw a beautiful fossil image of tiny fish embedded in the stone. I whispered to the Queen, “ may I take this back home to the United States.” I heard a voice say, “oh no my dear this must remain here.”

I hope you have enjoyed this story. It is also worth mentioning Croagh Patrick which is a Holy Mountain in Ireland commemorating the Life of Saint Patrick. My grand mother hiked up the mountain every year of her life until she was about 85 years old. Irish Blessings to you all! Jane