Touch and religious experience

 In The Deepest Sense: A Cultural History of Touch, Classen explores touch's profound and often overlooked role in shaping human culture, particularly in religious life. Far from being a purely physical act, touch becomes, in Classen’s words, a sacred channel—capable of connecting the human and the divine, the physical and the spiritual. Classen reveals how, throughout history, religious experiences were deeply tactile. Medieval pilgrims sought to touch relics not just to honor them, but to experience divine presence. The feel of holy water, the kiss of the cross, the clasp of prayer beads—all of these rituals made faith tangible. In a world before mass literacy, tactile encounters often served as the most immediate way to engage with spiritual truths. What’s striking is how religious touch wasn’t simply symbolic—it was transformative. Touch could heal, sanctify, and connect believers with a larger cosmic order. Classen shows how physical contact with sacred objects or people (like saints or clergy) carried real power. In this way, the body was not separate from spiritual life—it was a key part of this experience. In an era where visual and auditory modes often dominate religious experience, The Deepest Sense reminds us that faith has also been felt—literally. Classen’s work encourages a renewed appreciation for the intimacy and immediacy that touch brings to the divine encounter.

In the Islamic faith, the black stone is a divine relic that is touched by pilgrims to receive forgiveness for their sins.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Stone#Ritual_role