On Holy Ground

This will sound strange, but I do seem to discern a difference between holy ground and other normal spaces. Now, when someone mentions holy ground, people often think religious sites. That is a reasonable assumption, what with their being consecrated and all. However, that's not all the case. Religious spaces aren't necessarily holy ground.

I've been to many churches and temples, and each time I pass the threshold I just feel nothing. It's as if I've just walked into any other mall. At that point I thought well alright, so holy ground just feels like any other place. And then I step into some old churches, temples, cemeteries and the like and I get a whole other experience.

Stepping through onto true holy ground feels odd, to say the least. It's like stepping through a membrane to another space. For me it actually burns a little, but otherwise it's a pretty overwhelming feeling of peace and there's a certain awe to it. Hell it makes me feel as if I'd burst into flames if I accidentally touched some holy artifact there (I probably would, but don't want to put that to the test). I think the effect is noticeable by regular folk, as you'd see them speaking in hushed tones and basically acting reverent even though there is no religious authority figure around to dictate their conduct. It just seems to happen naturally.

I visited Naritasan temple over at Narita, Japan and I am pretty sure some of it is indeed holy ground. It has that very distinctive feeling, and it was only upon getting back did I realize that it was a temple for over 1000 years. Strangely, it's the places that are at least hundreds of years old that truly feel holy. Perhaps it is a factor of the time that people have spent earnestly worshipping at the site, or something of the sort. Regardless, it sometimes pains me to realize just how hollow modern religious sites can feel, being little different from a common mall or coffee shop.