Mesoamerican ritual space from the perspective of Dasein

Abstract

This paper proposes a possible dialogue from the hermeneutic perspective between Heidegger’s conception of Dasein as being-in-the-world and Mesoamerican urban and architectural space.

It follows the phenomenological approach, the concept of Dasein as existence thrown into open space, the idea of being-in-the-world as a selective way of searching for direction and the potential uses of place delimitation. Thus, the “cure” or care taken becomes the essential feature of dwelling. Signs become landmarks in the space; the clearing in the forest marks the propitious place for disclosing being. These ideas reveal a new reading of Mesoamerican open spaces, where lines and plazas configure an openness that, through ritual, can bring myth into present time.

This proposal provides an approach for intercultural dialogue, and renews the existential meaning of Mesoamerican ritual space.