Labyrinths in Places

Labyrinths are found in many places. Some are permanent and some are brought in temporarily for events. The challenge for labyrinth enthusiasts is often how to get permission to introduce a labyrinth into a specific environment. This section of the website examines some of the places where labyrinths may be found, the benefits of having them there, how they are used, and how people were able to install them there in the first place!

6. Labyrinths in University Research

With research as a central focus of university life, it’s not surprising to find labyrinths as the subject of research. For more information on this, see the Labyrinth Society's research pages and research bibliography. We encourage you to write about your experiences and to share them within your own field and more widely.

  • Research enquiries? Please contact The Labyrinth Society's Research Committee.
  • Looking for an opportunity for presenting papers and posters - and meeting many labyrinth enthusiasts? See The Labyrinth Society's Annual Gathering page.

The breadth of research in relation to the labyrinth is considerable. Fields of interest include archaeology and history; physiology and healing; anger and stress management; the labyrinth in literature; spiritual development and the arts; the labyrinth in learning and teaching; and more. If you are considering a research project, there are real opportunities to contribute to knowledge and understanding in this field.

If you are establishing a labyrinth project at your own university or college, you may well be asked about evidence to support your proposal, and for examples of innovative practice in this respect. Learning with the Labyrinth: Creating Reflective Space in Higher Education is a helpful publication in this regard, with 30 contributors reflecting on labyrinth work in their own, very diverse university settings, ranging from Creative Writing to Midwifery and from Counselling to Career Development (Jan Sellers and Bernard Moss, eds, 2016). As a starting point, the first chapter provides an overview of the contemporary interest in the labyrinth as a teaching and learning resource, including a brief review of the literature on teaching and learning with the labyrinth.

Sellers, Jan and Moss, Bernard, eds. (2016). Learning with the Labyrinth: Creating Reflective Space in Higher Education. Palgrave: London and New York. 

Further Resources

Caerdroia: The Journal of Mazes and Labyrinths

This independent journal is published annually, edited by Jeff and Kimberly Saward. The journal acts as a forum for historical and theoretical research, the publication of archive material and as a monitor of current developments with the field (Saward and Saward, 2018). Caerdroia web pages include archived contents pages and a generous range of freely downloadable articles from previous editions. The editors welcome enquiries about contributions to the Journal.

Can Walking a Labyrinth Help Tech-Savvy College Students Connect?

One-hour podcast (The Labyrinth Society, 2016): Dr. Nancy Bandiera, interviewed by Christiana Brinton, reflects on work with students and the labyrinth at La Guardia Community College, New York

Engaging Imagination

Introduction to university work with labyrinths

Labyrinths for our Time: Places of refuge in a hectic world

A Labyrinth Society DVD (2011) introducing the labyrinth in many contexts, including universities and colleges

The University and the Labyrinth: A reflective journey

One-hour webinar (Veriditas, 2016): Dr. Jan Sellers interviewed by Dr. Lauren Artress, on contemporary use of labyrinths in university settings

Prepared for the Labyrinth Society by Jan Sellers, lead editor of Learning with the Labyrinth (2016). Web pages revised 2018 by Jan Sellers, Jodi Lorimer, and Diane Rudebock. Visit Jan Sellers' website for more information.