# I want to go on a vision quest **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 23, 2002, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-go-on-a-vision-quest/144502 "2002-12-23T06:31:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-go-on-a-vision-quest/144502/1 "2002-12-23T06:31:33Z")
A dreamwalk, if you will. I’d prefer to survive it if at all possible. I’m looking for advice about 1. What I should bring 2. What I should wear 3. What time of year I should plan to go 4. Where I should do it (desert, forest, jungle…) 5. How much time it should take 6. What, if any, sacrifices I should offer 7. What I can expect to see when the visions start I’m especially interested in hearing from those who have been on vision quests themselves or know people who have. I think the spirits have something to tell me, but I have to go to the source to hear it. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![lel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8797f3/32.png) [@lel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lel)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-go-on-a-vision-quest/144502/2 "2002-12-23T07:13:24Z")
For the benefit of those of us who have absolutely no clue of what you speak, what is a vision quest/dreamwalk? ---
**Author:** ![Khan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3ab097/32.png) [@Khan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khan)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-go-on-a-vision-quest/144502/3 "2002-12-23T07:28:52Z")
Good call, **cuauhtemoc**. Now that you mention it, I’d be interested in doing one of those too. ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-go-on-a-vision-quest/144502/4 "2002-12-23T14:47:25Z")
[Something I just found.](http://stout.mybravenet.com/public_html/h/vision-q.htm) ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-go-on-a-vision-quest/144502/5 "2002-12-23T16:14:57Z")
Sadly, the closest I ever got to a vision quest was when I accidentally dumped a quarter bottle of Endorphin Rush into my black beans & rice enchiladas. I saw God. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shah\_Jehan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Shah\_Jehan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shah_Jehan)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-go-on-a-vision-quest/144502/6 "2002-12-23T18:08:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cuauhtemoc \* > \*\*1. What I should bring > > 1. What I should wear > > 2. What time of year I should plan to go > > 3. Where I should do it (desert, forest, jungle…) > > 4. How much time it should take > > 5. What, if any, sacrifices I should offer > > 6. What I can expect to see when the visions start > \*\* 1. Toilet paper. 2. Depends on where/when you go. 3. Depends on where you go and what you want to wear 4. I go with either a desert (frozen deserts are OK too) or a mountain range (specifically I’d go to the Andes) 5. Could be a week or two, could be a couple of months. 6. I don’t know about offerings, but I think fasting would be a good idea, and you wouldn’t have to bring as much TP. 7. I’d say that’s pretty personal. No one can tell you for sure, and I wouldn’t let anyone influence you by guessing ahead of time. ---
**Author:** ![blinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@blinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinx)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-go-on-a-vision-quest/144502/7 "2002-12-23T18:38:48Z")
I would bring some psilocybin mushrooms to help with the visions 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SisterCoyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@SisterCoyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SisterCoyote)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-go-on-a-vision-quest/144502/8 "2002-12-23T21:23:08Z")
Traditionally (at least, in the only tradition I’ve managed to find, which I may have made up because I can’t remember the source at all), Vision Quests lasted approximately 3 days. Before the VQ, the person going on the Quest is ritually purified. During the VQ, the person eats nothing and drinks only what they can find. After they’ve had the vision, they stumble back home and don’t eat until the feast at which they share the results of the vision. And usually get a new name. However, I managed to have a dreamwalk on a full stomach in a room full of other people during a guided meditation (but still got a new name), so go figure. ---
**Author:** ![TigoleBitties](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cab0a1/32.png) [@TigoleBitties](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TigoleBitties)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-go-on-a-vision-quest/144502/9 "2002-12-23T21:35:44Z")
To go on a VisionQuest Mix Dayquil and Nyquil and dont forget to bring a towel