Vision Quest

Emptying Oneself for a Higher Message

Nobody is really certain where Vision Quests originated. What is known is that various Native American tribes developed a custom of dispatching their young males on the cusp of manhood into the wilds with little more than a blanket – no food or water – so that they might receive a vision into their life’s purpose.

At some point during my teens I was introduced to – and became captivated by – the idea of a Vision Quest. The idea of surrendering myself to a higher, unseen power was appealing – particularly when everything else around me felt like madness.

Similarly, I liked the idea of emptying oneself of all distractions – nothing to feed the mind or the body. To me, it made perfect sense that only then could we become aware of that higher power and its intentions for us.

The theory, as I understood it, was that the rigors of fasting and simple exposure to the elements eventually would break through the young man’s psyche to give him glimpses into another world – the world of spirit, if you will.

Then, vision in hand, the young man would return to his tribe and relay his vision to the shaman or medicine man. Depending on the tribe and its culture, the contents of that vision and its interpretation would be used both to define and design his future (including in some cases, a new name, assignation of a ‘power animal,’ and a role within the tribe.

Such visions were thought to have great significance since they were in effect higher guidance. Some males undertook Vision Quests later in life, often because they felt a new passage was upon them and required new guidance.

I have not seen as much about women undertaking quests, but there is certainly nothing against them doing so. My understanding is that women were not called to quest as much for the simple reason they – unlike men – have very specific and clear biological milestones (menses, pregnancy, nursing, menopause) that help guide them. By contrast, it was thought that a young men without such guidance would be left rootless and lost. Something to consider in our popular culture where there is no comparable rite of passage for the young males who create so much havoc.

Since 2005 I have undertaken three Vision Quests, all with varying degrees of “success.” To read something about them click here.