What is a Vision Quest ?
and why
should I participate in one ?
.
.
Our lives are full of outer concerns. Along with the convenience of cell phones, pagers, and e-mail comes constant communication. We are always "on call."
Computers, cars, and voice mail follow us everywhere. We are never far from advertisements and opportunities to shop fueled by "instant" money from ATMs and "invisible" money from credit cards. We are constantly inundated with media propaganda about beauty, diet, exercise, sex, and how to get more of these or other things. How many people are on drugs given to them by doctors to help them get thinner, or be more productive, or less angry?
Many people when not working, are consuming. Food, liquor, sex, movies, shopping. When is the time to reflect, to look inside, to hear who we really are, or what we need to do for our souls?
The Vision Quest is one opportunity to begin to set aside "The World" and all its distractions. Time to have enough silence to hear that inner voice. For at least one day (or up to seven days or more) we restrict our "consuming" so that the outer noises become quiet and the inner knowledge can be heard.
One way we stop our "consuming" is to limit our food intake to just water. Although this type of fasting is beneficial to the health, it is primarily used to bring mental clarity and to tune up the higher frequencies. We also restrict movement, staying in a small area, and we stop diverting our attention with books, radios, televisions, and cars. We stay in a place where nature can speak to us if we listen.
It is in this way, that we make time for the world to stop and for our higher nature to speak. We will be praying for a "Vision" at the same time that our bodies may be craving for food or noise or anything to keep us from really hearing our hearts. This is the tension for most people on a vision quest.
We may feel restless or bored or deeply emotional. We may feel angry or resistant to the experience, wondering when SOMETHING will happen. Many people have never had this type of silence and it may feel frightening to them. This is when we sit with our fear, breathe and listen. Sometimes this is when our inner voice begins to speak.
Preparation for a vision quest should include inner reflection, perhaps fasting to see how it feels, and even some journal writing to help bring hidden feelings to the surface. People with a background of meditation and outdoor journeys or fasting will find this Vision Quest to be more familiar, but we all have something to gain from this period of silence and inner reflection.
Supply List
- Tent (lightweight and easy to put up)
- Lightweight chair (for sitting with group)
- Sleeping bag, blanket, and pillow
- Tarp or plastic for ground underneath tent
- Flashlight
- Whistle (in case you need our assistance)
- Hat with wide brim (absolutely necessary to avoid sun exposure)
- Toilet paper (with plastic bag to put all used tissue in)
- Small backpack to carry toiletries and clothing
- Minimal toiletries, but do include sunscreen, bugspray, Band-Aids, antibiotic creme, and a snakebite kit if you have one
- One set of clean clothes that will be left in the main camp (put them in a plastic bag)
- Coat or jacket with hood
- Warm hat or cap (it gets cold in the desert at night)
- Gloves
- Sweater
- Warm socks
- T-shirt
- Long pants
- Comfortable walking shoes with good tread
- Container of water for fasting. The amount you bring is optional - some people feel they need to drink a lot of water, in that case a gallon is suggested. A half gallon is probably sufficient for others. Don’t bring less than a half gallon)
Note: the people remaining in the base camp will be fasting and in silence also, but they are primarily focused on holding the space for those who are Vision Questing.
A form releasing the facilitators from any responsibility for any injury sustained from this journey is required. The risk of any injury is very slight - about what one would encounter on any camping trip. If you have any significant medical conditions or are taking medication, please inform the facilitators.
The trip itinerary will be discussed with the participants prior to the journey.
Vision Quest
Future
events and contact persons will be posted here
as
new dates are
established
and confirmed.
Click
Here to View
or Print the
Vision Quest Application Form
