Vision Quest Traditions

Some reasons for undertaking a quest include

• To gain courage for a difficult ordeal such as the Sun Dance or war path
• To seek favor from the spirits in regard to ill health of a loved one
• To find direction in one’s life
• To give thanks for gifts already received.. etc

Those who seek out a vision are aware of their powerless position before the mystery of the Great Spirit.

The “lamenter” must first seek assistance from the guide of a medicine man

• Both must be purified by the Inipi Sweat Lodge before beginning his or her journey
• The location chosen for this quest is elevated and deliberately removed from ordinary traffic
• Abstinence from food and water through the duration of their quest emphasizes the seeker’s fully purified body, rid of earthly material that could repel the spirits

Vision Quest relates strong community ties to the individual visionary experience

• It was expected to announce one’s visions to people of the tribe
• Many visions held distinct patterns in accordance with symbols and stories of the tribe

o      Visions were often interpreted with the help of others, such as medicine men.

o      Particular images or messages relayed in a vision could be interpreted as an invitation into a specific society or role within the tribe(such as shaman)

• Gifts from the spirits were never meant to be solely for the recipient- wisdom was shared with the larger community.

Framework of the vision depends on the liminal state of consciousness from fasting and fatigue

• Though unique visions of prophetic quality cannot be rationally explained, many interpretations are culturally shaped by the tribe’s history, folklore, and spiritual understanding of reality.
• Guardian spirits encountered during vision quests are understood as “sacred messengers”; communicators and symbols of divine power
• A vision provides an undisputed feeling of truth for the perceiver, therefore they must follow the directions given to them
• A successful vision seeker gains both direction and power for life

o      Each person within the tribe has the opportunity to approach the supernatural for power that can help the community

o      The Plains Indians singled out shamans according to the specialization of the visions they received; particular medicine symbols and guides

• Visions inherently transformation the seeker’s self-knowledge

o      The content of a vision is characterized by knowledge of a kind that humans did not possess before, and would not be able to obtain by their own efforts.

Images seen by the “inner eye” of the individual are understood as a glimpse into an unseen realm that is governed by Great Spirit. Events are determined and prefigured in this realm.

Fundamental insight of the Vision Quest according to Kathleen Dugan in The Vision Quest of the Plains Indians:

• “that each person is a humble and poor suppliant before that which is great and mysterious and whose power is drawn to the cry of the needy.” (168)

Ceremony can be understood as dictated and preconfigured in knowledge provided by visions. Visions also expand the development of ceremonies over time.

Through visions, the body of religious knowledge is shared by the whole community- according to each person’s individual capacity- while its perception lies in the hands of medicine men and women.

Visions determine the rise of religious rituals (origin stories of heroes who were taught the rites of ritual by Great Spirit), shamans, hunting and warring activities.

• Tradition and authority are dependent upon the truth revealed by visions, therefore the vision quest is a vital tradition for Native American culture.

– Lia Bentley