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History & Society
vision quest
Native American religion
Category:
History & Society
- Related Topics:
- Native American religions
vision quest, supernatural experience in which an individual seeks to interact with a guardian spirit, usually an anthropomorphized animal, to obtain advice or protection. Vision quests were most typically found among the native peoples of North and South America. The specific techniques for attaining visions varied from tribe to tribe, as did the age at which the first quest was to be undertaken, its length and intensity, and the expected form of the guardian spirit’s presence or sign. In some tribes nearly all young people traditionally engaged in some form of vision quest, as participation in the experience was one ...(100 of 398 words)