VQs can vary greatly from tradition to tradition. However, the basics are consistent. There is a period of ritual purification (usually fasting), followed by venturing out into the wilderness (the "quest" part).
The Visions can come from a number of sources. Psychedelic or visionary drugs are one traditional source. Fasting, dehydration, and heat fatigue are other valid methods to invoke visions. Often these involve a sense of being torn apart and rebuilt by the animal that appears, or journeys to far away places.
Of course, "visions" are not always necessary either. Simply being in an appropriate state of mind and then seeing real animals or signs and interpreting them as important and being what you were looking for is enough.
For me, when I decided to do one, I had a little of both. Lacking access to proper vision drugs like Peyote, Salvio etc, I used good old LSD. For general interest, this works fine, but you have to wait until after you peak and are on the slow comedown phase to do any worthwhile vision work with it. I used the "trip" portion to prepare myself ritually, and then much later enter a medatative trance. There, I managed to experience a couple of intense visions involving animal spirits, the details of which are largely only interesting to myself.
The interesting and unexpected part, was what happened in the weeks afterwards. First off, I should note that this VQ took place in a very urban environment. You make do with what you can. When I woke from my visions, My girlfriend noted a bear paw print in the fog of my window. I noted this, but as bear wasn't a part of the visions I just had, I thought little of it.
In the following 2 weeks, I started seeing bears everywhere: On tv, on posters, on cans of snuff, all getting my attention rather sharply. Being the thick headed sod I am, I shrugged it all off. However, whenever my mind would drift back to the VQ experience and start wondering about it, I would immediately see a bear somewhere, more and more obvious each time. The giant wall sized poster of one outside the museum got my attention, and I finally started to realize what was going on. Walking further down the street, I wonder about it again. My head snaps around and I see across the street behind me a giant wooden bear parade float.
Throwing my hands up in the air I finally accepted what was happening. Much internal dialog followed from there as I learned from my new totem spirit.
That's how it happened for me, when I went out on a limb and asked for it. The lesson is that the shaman knows how to interpret omens, wherever and in whatever form they may come in. Every VQ is unique. What matters is only that you seek, and are prepared to listen. |
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