Mareesa Stertz & Tania Abdul - Sphinx Gate: Know Thyself at Burning Man

Sphinx Gate is a Burning Man 2025 art installation built to help participants know themselves through myth, play, and embodied self-reflection, without relying on psychedelics. Hosted by Joe Moore, Mareesa Stertz and Tania Abdul explain how the project draws inspiration from The NeverEnding Story and uses two towering 34-foot sphinxes plus an immersive, interactive environment. They describe rituals, stations, laser-eyed sphinx figures, and an oracle that offers personalized missions as ways to reframe inner challenges into growth quests. They also emphasize integration and community: co-creation, peer support, and emotional exploration centered on joy. The conversation connects the project to cultural roots, Indigenous land steward honoring, and plans to scale into future traveling versions and permanent Museums of Self-Exploration beyond Burning Man.