Vision Quests

1 min read

Vision Quests – For many Native Americans, traditional initiation rituals, especially those celebrated at puberty, are marked by a vision quest, in which a person goes to a remote and possibly sacred place and seeks to encounter a powerful other-than-human helper. This may be an animal or a spirit being and may be seen after prolonged sensory deprivation, for example, fasting and continuous wakefulness. Neo-shamans often demonstrate their New Age credentials by presenting vision quests as opportunities for self-discovery, seeking the “soul” or true inner self, rather than altered styles of communication in an animist world. Neo-shamans such as Sun Bear have been strongly criticized (and labeled “plastic medicine men”) by the American Indian Movement, among others, for charging clients to participate in vision quests and related, purificatory sweat lodges.

SOURCE:

Historical Dictionary of Shamanism by Graham Harvey and Robert J. Wallis 2007

BOOKS FOR YOU TO READ IN OUR LIBRARY:

Previous Story

Vision

Next Story

Visualization

Latest from Blog

Eugène Deloncle

Eugène Deloncle was a French businessman and far-right political activist who lived from 1890 to 1944.…

Thixo

Thixo is a creator god in Xhosa mythology. In Xhosa culture, Thixo is considered the highest…

Aziza

In Tuareg mythology, Aziza are protective spirits or genies that are believed to inhabit natural features…

Irikuden

Irikuden is a legendary hero in Tuareg mythology, who is revered as a symbol of strength,…

Tin Hinan

Tin Hinan is a legendary figure in Tuareg mythology, who is considered the mother of the…