Vision Quest

Share thoughts and ideas regarding what can be done to meet contemporary humanity's need for rites of initiation and passage.

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Lao_Tzu42
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Post by Lao_Tzu42 »

I turn 40 this summer and I'm planing a Vision Quest to get some perspective on my life and where I'm going. I'm very interested to hear from anyone who has experienced one and your thoughts about teh experience.

Thanks,
Jeff

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Post by peterbauer »

Hi guys.. Long time...

So Jeff, Yes, I did go on a vision quest.

http://www.earth-heart.net

It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. And I plan to do it again.

I didn't see any spirits... in fact I only lasted a day and a half. It was supposed to be four days and four nights, but by day two I was so burned by the sun that I had to come off the mountain. Basically, I didn't follow the instructions and failed (in the sense that failure is a good thing). I learned a lot about how I make decisions. My own personal lesson (the biggest one) was that I choose to be in aweful situations. For example:

The program lasts 8 days total. Two days of briefing, ie how to choose a spot, what to do if you get bored, how to react if you see spirits, etc. Four days on the hill and two to de-brief.

How to choose a spot:
1. Flat ground
2. Not exposed to sun or rain
3. Not on an anthill or around a lot of insects.

just like your camping right?

Well, without paying much attention I chose a spot that was slanted (so I slid downhill all night), a spot exposed to the sun all day (major sun burns) and the rain at night (soaked my bag and clothes), and was on an ant highway (was constantly brushing ants off my head and inside of my clothes.

After two days of this I broke. But I tell you, it was time for me to come down off that hill. I hadn't made a choice that felt right with my heart in months, and when I realized I didn't have to stay in the hell I had created, I got a shit eating grin and felt a rush I can't explain. It's taught me a lot about getting in situations without making sure it fits my needs. Like relationships with women for example, or jobs, or projects. Anyway, It was great, and I want to do it again, this time with a place that will work!

Peter




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<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: peterbauer on 2004-07-02 14:02 ]</font>

bodhibliss
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Post by bodhibliss »

A brilliant book on this subject (and there are several) is Soulcraft: Crossing into the Mysteries of Nature and Psyche, by Bill Plotkin(with a foreward byThomas Berry, and glowing reviews by Angeles Arrien, Robert Johnson (both Jungians, and Campbell fellow travelers), and David Abrams. Besides Plotkins years of experience as a psychologist, ecotherapist, and wilderness guide, he also draws heavily on the work of Campbell, Jung and Hillman.

Plotkin calls this "an experiential guide to the wilderness of the soul" - and it's a great place to start. The Animas Valley Institute has organized vision quests, as does The Mankind Institute and Threshold Passages, among others, if you aren't sure about "going it alone" and would a safety net, as well as support to help you process the experience.

Good luck
bodhibliss

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Post by I am Cosmic Dancer »

Lao_tzu42,
I have been on e few Vision Quests in my life, unfortunately, I only can use the computer in the library so it limits my time to talk about it. The first vision quest was unplanned but I had the intent to go on one and it came to me. It was on a 4 day bus ride from Memphis to Salt Lake City, A modest hippie/Shaman sat next to me and changed my life! We did not eat or drink anything during this time, it was as if there was no time, we didn't think about food because we were too busy talking. it was as if we were on the bus but never on the bus. Anyway, my first vision quest helped me to dive into the history of my parents, thus being able to understand them better and forgive them through the compassion that I felt by living in thier shoes. I would not recommend doing something like this unplanned and unprepared, I ended up in the hostpital when I reached S.L.C. due to a Kidney infection, Pnemonia, dehydration,and starvation, not just because of the time on the bus, but also the 2 months prior, I was sick, that's why I left Memphis, I got the blues. I almost died and probably suffered slight brain damage because my fever was up to 105.7 degrees before I checked myself in to the hostpital.

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Post by Cosmic Dancer »

(ran out of time on the computer, but I'm back)
Anyway, at the end of the journey on the bus with Raven, the hippie/shaman, I recieved a gift, a necklace that had been passed from Shaman to Shaman, I don't knoe how many times but it seemed old and ready to fall apart. Raven said, since I make beautiful hemp necklaces, that I was to have it and maybe pass it along some day, or better yet, make many necklaces to pass on. I chose the latter, and made quite a few "sacred" necklaces for friends on similar quests. The second Vision Quest I went on was actually planned and prepared for. I prepared for a year, intensley for a month prior and at last went up into the Olympic Mtns. I never chose to go with a group, it was just my husband and myself. We each brought a drum and chose our spots close enough to be able to hear the drum, that's how we communicated that we were safe...or scared. I spent that vision Quest actually making a sacred circle, (which I had to do right away because I chose a spot in a field of daisies, there were pestering bees everywhere, what was I thinking?!) but as soon as I intended the circle to be sacred and completed my own ritual, the bees never entered my space...wierd. Once te circle was made I spent most of my time remembering every little part of my life in order and by the people who I have come in contact with throughout my life, that made it easier to remember. The important part, I think, was remembering it as if I was watching the situations happen from a 3rd person, non-judgemental perspective. This vision quest really helped me to know myself and move from child to adult truely. I also faced my fears by being alone in the dark in mountain lion country, I was most terrified of being eaten! I was especially terrified when I had a visitor on the middle of my first night, I thought it was a bear or something big and scary, I didn't dare move or look even though it had entered my circle and was nibbling on my hair! I finally got the courage to look at it...it was a baby rabbit, hah! go figure, bees and rabbits...fertility! I found out the next week that I was pregnant. Now my son is 5 and in kindergarten.

The 3rd and final vision quest, so far, was done to finalize my desision to divorce. I chose the Cascade Mtns, just east of Seattle, as my spot. I went up a random road and followed it to the end and kept going and then followed a dry river bed into a remote valley with berry bushes everywhere, a small creek, (important for water supply, I choose to go without food, but never without water,) there was only one spot where one could lay comfortably in that valley, a mossy spot, and I went straight to it as if I knew it was there. Turns out that valley belonged to a lonely Black Bear. This was the most intense and significant vision quest so far. once again I'm running out of time so I'll continue my story in a moment...

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Post by I am Cosmic Dancer »

so as it turns out the Black bear and I became lonesome companions up there in that isolated valley. I first spotted him when I was showing my husband a good spot to spy on me and make sure I'm okay without me seeing him, right as I was pionting to the spot where I would be, the bear was maybe 50 ft. away and was running down the hill to the exact spot I was pionting at. My husband asked me if I really wanted to do this, especially since everything seemed to be stopping me from going, his work schedule, my car breaking down when I tried to go anyway, alone, and now one of my biggest fears: having a big ferocious animal as my allie. I had already made my decision and I wasn't going to back out because I knew how bad I needed to stop the world for 3 or 4 days to figure out what the hell I was going to do next. I went and one again the bees and the flies were out of control, so I made my circle sacred and only allowed the bees in if they had a message for me, since they were my first allies, (and I used to hate bees, I've been stung a lot, these days they leave me alone) The first night right as the first star appearred in the sky, Lonesome Star, that was the name I received on the previous vision quest, the bear appeared again. He entered from the north, he was about an inch away from stepping on my feet. He layed down next to me, maybe 5 feet away, I don't know, I didn't move an inch that night. He slept next to me all night, grunting and snoring and tossing and turning while I lay completely still and wide awake most the night. In the morning, after the last star dissappeared, my star, he left through the south, stepping on my hair as he
walked by. I was actually comfortable with his presence by that time, I felt that we could communicate on a psychic level, he was there all night to protect me from me real fear, the mountian lion, who might not have been so merciful. I spent four hours making a "magic" necklace that next day. It really was magic too, after devoting that much time and attention into it, it gave me strength, wisdom, and clarity, all needed for the decisions ahead in my life. I fell asleep in the mid afternoon, only to be awoken by a bee zipping past my nose, I awoke to fing the bear had returned, he was about 10 feet away, eating berries which were everywhere. I instantly felt affraid again, so angry at myself for not being able to conquer my primal fears. Ipicked up my drum and started playing it with full vigor. I played and played and played, beats were coming out of nowhere, they sounded very tribal and native american like, not anything I had played before, I felt like I was me but I was also someone else who had vision quested in this same spot before, a long time ago, a native. I could see this person quite clearly in my mind though I felt i was that person for a time. I sang and chanted and drummed for a very long time, and the whole time the bear hung out no more than 20 feet away, he loved it!...By the end of it all, I felt that the bear and I were very close, we had shared our souls and our company, we communicated with ease on a psychic level, we were the same: strong, lazy, and lonely. And I was never the same person after that. I have since been learing about the heaaling arts of Bear medicine, it is my purpose to help and heal the people, my people, which is everyone. Peace!!

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Post by Cosmic Dancer »

Sorry about all the typos... I was feeling rushed by the time limit on the computer, I hope you can still get the jist. I have helped point many friends in the right direction and educated them on the Vision Quest. Most people don't even know what it is but have felt like they have had unintentional Vision Quests. I've learned that the Vision Quest never really ends, it's a constant unfolding. I do believe that this is an essential ritual that our western society has completely forgotten and because of our forgetfulness, we have many people, yound, middle aged, and old, who are still lost, scared children inside. It's too bad, but I hope that over time, more and more people will begin to remember the importance of these types of rituals in our lives, and more of us will make it possible, through Vision Quest groups and what not to expand the awareness of our ancient tribal rites and rituals. I, myself, though the effort is small and local at this time, am one who guides others to and along the path of self discovery, maturity, wisdom, purpose, enlightenment, and control over fear. Fear is the cause of most if not all problems in life, a Vision Quest is designed to help you conquer your fears of death and the unkown, (the 2 biggest fears) so you can see more clearly and appreciate this magic called life!

loa_tzu42,
I am young and still have much to learn, but many think I have wisdom well beyond my years. I don't know if you plan to do this with a group or alone, but if you have any questions or need a little light shed on certain areas pertaining to your preparation, feel free to contact me through the private conversations or through my e-mail, which I can give you later if you wish.

Good luck on your journey toward happiness and completeness.
"We are each given a specific inner mountain to climb... How we climb and the time we take are up to us... In other words, we're given the playing field, but we choose how to play the game"--Dan Millman--

bodhibliss
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Post by bodhibliss »

On 2006-12-06 14:37, Cosmic Dancer wrote:
Sorry about all the typos... I was feeling rushed by the time limit on the computer, I hope you can still get the jist.
I know the feeling, Cosmic Dancer. What works with some of my lengthier posts is to type them up in Word first, then cut and paste them to the message board.

Thanks for sharing your fascinating experiences.

mitakuye oyasin
bodhibliss


llwyd
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Post by llwyd »

Lovely Bear Story Thank you

Yep we are all out there doing it!

I have Heaps of Australian Wilderness stories of these same “Rites OF Passage” and it’s the Primal Landscape that has always buffeted my fears in times of deep change.

Some of us are privileged to have access to a primary pragmatic land form of the Collective Memory.
I draw on the Indigenous Cultural memories to get a bearing on the outer Landscape but I think that it’s in our inner Landscape where we look to this contemporary narrative, to find words that can hold the Mytho Poetic Map of our common journeys.
As an artist I usually come out of the inner world with a hands on trophy, to show I have been there.
My painting and fiber visual narratives are the evidence of the inner work.
It’s bute to hold some record and we are all painters/ poets etc.
Stuart http://www.karrinyarra-artists.com

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Post by creekmary »

I like your story. It makes me think of the advice old preachers and grandma would give to new people who want to get strong spiritually. Go find your spot in the woods. Go often to "fast and pray" (almost cliche standard advice for a problem). That you will see things, visions, animals, spirits. Not to be afraid. I remember one preacher said that things would come out of the woods, bears, coyotes, so forth. Not to be afraid, don't be distracted. Keep on and they won't bother you.

It makes me wonder if it is something about Nature that brings it on. I suppose you could fast and pray and meditate the same in a high-rise in urban New York, but I don't hear those stories. They mostly seem to be out in Nature.

Maybe the things that come out to tell you something and conquer your fear would just be different in the city. An urban equivalent to bears and coyotes and owls. Visions and spirits I assume would be the same.

Susan

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Post by I am Cosmic Dancer »

The Problem with the city is that you are not usually alone and isolated. It's much harder to stop the world and quiet your inner world long enough to see clearly when there are so many distactions, noises, and things going on. The television, the radio, the telephone, all designed to keep us from having to face complete silence, okay, maybe not, but they might as well have been created for pure distraction because they all distract and pacify pretty well. you can't be bogged down by your to do list when you are too far away from anything to do your to do tasks.-that was a tongue twister- anywhoo, not saying it's not possible to experience a vision quest in the middle of New York, or Seattle, just saying it's not very probable. You have to try a lot harder to shut the world off. Turn off your T.V., your stereo, your telephone, your computer. Lock your doors, Light the candles and incense, tell everyone to stay away, (but they probably won't, and your vision quest probably won't last very long.) I'm only speaking from experience...peace!!

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Post by creekmary »

I was always longing for the woods and trees and nature when I lived in the city. It is distraction, though. That's what I miss being in the country, all the things to do so easily in the city.

But I think bears and spirits and things would be a distraction, also. The instruction seems to be to learn to ignore it and go right on with your meditation. I think it is possible when I think of being lost in thought or distracted about something, but difficult.

I guess ultimately you carry "your place" within you and access it all the time.

Susan

hobbit
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Post by hobbit »

You might try exploring the Tracker School web site concerning Philosophy classes there as well as a vision quest progam during the summer.

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Post by valyo »

I do this exercise, named "vision quest" and it's great. And everyone can do it in the city.

creekmary
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Post by creekmary »

That looks interesting! Wandering around aimlessly (purposely aimlessly) with no particular direction...I'm there!

Seriously, it looks like a good exercise. Living life to see what happens. See where you are "led".

Susan

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