84 Hours, No Food, No Water, Solitude | My First Vision Quest

Over the last couple months, I’ve been living in a medicine community in Pisac, Peru. During this time I participated in about 10 ceremonies, including ceremonies of Ayahuasca, Wachuma, and Mushrooms.

The most significant part of this experience involved my vision quest, and my first step towards becoming a medicine man by developing a deeper connection with these ancestral medicines, and — myself.

This isn’t my first time working with shamanic medicines such as ayahuasca or Wachuma. I’ve had quite a lot of experience in the past, having sat in 25+ ayahuasca ceremonies, and working in various medicine communities around Latin America.

So you may be wondering, what the heck is a vision quest? How is this relevant to working in the plant medicine space? Let me explain. In this article, I’ll tell you a little about my vision quest, and what I experienced, as well as provide a little information about vision quests in general.

What is a vision quest?

A vision quest is a native American right of passage that has existed for thousands of years. It’s part of the Red Road tradition (or Camino Rojo) which is a shamanic path in the Americas.

Traditionally, someone studying to be a medicine man or woman must complete a series of vision quests, followed by a sun dance. The student may then get a blessing from an elder of the community to share the sacred medicine of Ayahuasca or Wachuma, depending on the student’s calling.

The tradition of following a series of vision quests has existed for thousands of years which is designed to help the student find a deeper meaning and direction in their life. It’s a deeply spiritual process that allows an individual to further explore their consciousness through fasting and prayer.

People generally do vision quests for the following reasons:

• They’re seeking a deeper meaning or purpose in their lives
• They are at a transition point in their life, and seeking direction
• They are looking to connect more deeply with their spirit, spirit guides, and ancestral spirits
• They are a student of sacred plant…