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In some Japanese new religious movements, power spots (パワースポット) are special places scattered around the earth. They are also called "energy spots" or Qi fields. The phrase is an example of a wasei-eigo loanword.
In the book "Power Spots of the World: A Travel Guide to Healing and Self-Recovery," it is explained that power spots have water that is said to heal, rocks that are said to speak to people, or fault lines that emit magnetic forces.[1]
In new age thought in Europe and the United States, a "spiritual vortex" is a place where vortices erupt with energy from the earth. Sedona, Arizona is a famous example.[2][3]
Hiroshi Aramata claims that "a power spot can be thought of as a place where the power of the earth (qi) is felt." He points out that although the term power spot is new, there have been attempts to obtain the power of the earth for a long time. Aramata suggests that in Japan, the Kumano Sanzan Pilgrimage is a very old example. Aramata believes that the pilgrimage to Kumano Sanzan was an epoch-making event because it was possible for people of any status or gender to gain power by simply paying a visit to a certain place, something that could normally only be obtained through Shugendō. Similarly, the Okagemaeri (ja:お蔭参り) to the Ise Shrine was advertised as a way for people of all genders to obtain power that only Shugenja could obtain.[4]
According to All About, many places that have come to be called "power spots" or "spiritual spots" were originally places of faith and nature worship. Such places were traditionally called holy places (霊場, reijo) or sacred places (聖地, seichi).[5]