Question by digilook: Do vision quests offer the same results as meditation?
Are drugs a necessary requirement for a vision quest? For myself, the answer is “No”
Namaste
Peace and Love
Clarification…….
The “No” answer was for drugs.
Best answer:
Answer by phrog
they are basically the same – and no the drugs are not necessary and in fact some do not use them at all.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
The basics of meditation are needed for a successful vision quest; the quiet mind, quiet body, allowing information to freely come and go, etc. Meditation is used for centering and relieving stress while getting in touch with the inner self; vision quests are journeys to discover more about your self through archetypes and spirit guides depending on the practice used. Most thought rejects the idea of using drugs for true vision quests, the journey is all internal thus external substances can prohibit a successful outcome.
I have found that meditation does indeed offer similar results as a vision quest: the power of inner spiritual revelation and connection to the Universal energies.
Drugs certainly are not a requirement. Personally, it would interfere with interpretation of information.
I have actually found vision quests to be much more powerful that regular meditations. They are a form of directed meditation, wherein there is a goal to be reached, and reaching that goal takes effortless effort. I have experienced them sober and have experienced them after toking a bit. Both had value; both were powerful; the sober one still resonates at every level of body and mind, while the nonsober is cloudy, murky and hard to recall, even though the power of the experience still resonates with me.
It takes more effort, but stay straight if you choose to follow one. All of our answers can be found without the assistance of mind altering drugs. Learned that one from personal experience.