A vision quest is a period of time that we set aside in order to seek a personal revelation from God about our lives or our relationship with him. It is usual a period of solitude that takes place in the wilderness or a special place where one can be silent and listen to what God has to say. It also usually involves fasting in that the person generally only drinks water. It lasts about two to four days. There are a series of things that you must be able to do for preparation in order to have a successful vision quest. It is a sacred time where the veils between this world and the next are pulled aside. When the quest is over, the person most often leaves with an answer to their problem or a specific message from God about what they are to do in their lives.
My question is do people today still take part in these vision quests? Are they common in any other religion besides Indian? Would it be difficult to participate in a vision quest in this day and age with all of the dangers the wilderness possesses?
1 comment:
I think you grasped the general meaning and purpose of the ceremony. In the Lakota tradition that I am involved with, there is no taking of water out to the wilderness. It is a complete fast, being exposed to all the elements of the days and mights whether that be heat, torrents of rain, frost, wind - they all become "teachers." I did 4 VQ's starting in 1997, so they are very much alive and practiced today. Every year, actually, is the tradition of most Circles.
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