50 Vision Quest Quotes About Interacting With Guardian Spirits

By Stephanie Kirby | Published August 2, 2023

If you are interested in traditional Native American rituals, check out these Vision Quest quotes.

A vision quest is typically a ritual associated with native peoples from North and South America.

During these quests, individuals seek an interaction with their guardian spirit where they can obtain protection or guidance.

Although each tribe had different traditions as to the age of the individual or the length of the quest, they were all meant to be a part of passing from child to adulthood.

In some tribes, only males participated in vision quests.

In contrast, in others, it was a ritual that all or nearly all young people participated in.

We all have different traditions or rituals that we participate in as we approach adulthood; what is yours?

Take a look at these Vision Quest quotes to learn more about the ritual.

Top Vision Quest Quotes

Here are some top quotes about vision quests, visions, and more.

1. “If we wonder often, the gift of knowledge will come.” — Arapaho

2. “Crying for vision, that’s the beginning of all religion.” — Lame Deer

3. “The Great Spirit is in all things. He is in the air we breathe.” — Big Thunder Wabanaki

4. “The vision quest calls us to shed our old selves and embrace our true essence.” — Sun Bear

5. “In the silence of nature, during a vision quest, the soul finds its true voice.” — Heidi Ballard

6. “A vision quest is a sacred encounter with the mysteries of life and the universe.” — Jamie Sams

7. “The vision quest is not just a physical journey; it’s a profound inner exploration.” — Angeles Arrien

8. “Through the challenges of a vision quest, we discover our inner strength and resilience.” — Joseph Rael

9. “A very great vision is needed, and the man who has it must follow it as the eagle seeks the deepest blue of the sky.” — Crazy Horse

10. “During a vision quest, we face our fears, embrace our vulnerabilities, and discover our authentic selves.” — Brooke Medicine Eagle

The Role of Vision Quest Quotes

These quotes show what people find to be the benefits of doing a vision quest.

11. “In the sacred silence of nature, we find the answers we seek during the vision quest.” — Michael Harner

12. “Through the trials of the vision quest, we awaken our inner fire and embrace our inner gifts.” — Tom Cowan

13. “A vision quest is a sacred dialogue with the universe, guiding us to our life’s purpose.” — Sandra Ingerman

14. “Alone in the wilderness, there’s nowhere to hide from the parts of yourself you’re not so crazy about.” — Minda Zetlin

15. “Through the vision quest, we learn to trust the whispers of our heart and the wisdom of the land.” — Leslie Gray

16. “The vision quest is a sacred ritual of seeking, where we encounter our inner truth and purpose.” — G.W. Mullins

17. “In the emptiness of the wilderness, the vision quest reveals the richness of our inner world.” — Joseph Campbell

18. “During a vision quest, we let go of what no longer serves us, making space for transformation.” — Anne Scott

19. “A vision quest is a rite of passage that leads us to a deeper connection with nature and our inner wisdom.” — Llyn Roberts

20. “The vision quest is a sacred pilgrimage of the soul, a transformative journey into the depths of one’s being.” — Steven Foster

Vision Quest Quotes on Why People Do Vision Quest

Learn more about what brings people to go on a vision quest.

21. “Such a quest can be deeply cathartic. It can empower, humble, enlighten, and strengthen you all at once!” — Luke Sholl

22. “The practice of Vision Quest can help in preparing yourself consciously for entering a new phase of life.” — Manuela Bosch

23. “People have a variety of experiences while on their quests, but one thing unites them: they all hold vigils at a sacred place.” — Lisa Riley

24. “The vision quest is a profound encounter with the mysteries of existence, leading us to a deeper understanding of life.” — Tom Brown Jr.

25. “That vision quest saved my life. When I returned from it, I found a new sense of belonging in the Indigenous culture I had discovered.” — Eddy Robinson

26. “Going on a vision quest will (temporarily) pare down your life and give you a chance to see what’s most important to you, thus empowering you to follow your dreams for your life and career.” — Minda Zetlin

27. “The vision quest has evolved into a general term that refers to Native American and also to the rite-of-passage rituals found in almost every tradition, culture, and religion throughout the world.” —Maddisen K. Krown

28. “The goal of the Vision Quest is not to get linear answers about one’s future. It is much more about creating inner capacity and free from external societal influences, getting to know oneself better.” — Manuela Bosch

29. “The vision quest was a religious act whereby the Indian fasted from two to seven days and, if successful, received a supernatural guardian which aided the individual in his quest for survival.” — Richard E. Knowland

30. “Whether you’re at a major turning point in your life, reflecting on your decisions in a time of crisis, or just wondering what truths about yourself are lying dormant, there are few better ways to find the answers than going on a vision quest.” — Luke Sholl

Vision Quest Quotes About Rites of Passage

From vision quests to walkabouts and bat mitzvahs, many different rites of passage exist across cultures, as shown in the following quotes.

31. “Few of us go through life without taking part in some kind of rite of passage.” — Hank Nuwer

32. “To me rites of passage through life, that’s a wonderful, beautiful thing.” — Lance Henriksen

33. “In recent years, there has even been a rise in secular coming of age ceremonies, which aim to prepare adolescents for adult life.” — Sarah P. Young

34. “There aren’t a lot of opportunities for that rite of passage that makes you a man. War is one of them, and violent sports are another.” — Sylvester Stallone

35. “Whereas a first bar or bat mitzvah… takes on ritual obligations and can be counted in a minyan, a second bar or bat mitzvah is tantamount to a renewal of vows.” — Julie Wiener

36. “Engaging in a vision quest, therefore, places one within the nonlinear time of myth, thereby transcending the linear events that have influenced and altered Lakota society.” — David Martinez

More Vision Quest Quotes and Sayings

Here are some additional quotes about different types of rites of passage.

37. “A quest of any kind is a heroic journey. It is a rite of passage that carries you to an inner place of silence and majesty and encourages you to live life more courageously and genuinely.” — Denise Linn

38. “The original purpose of this important rite of passage is carefully reclaimed: Ensuring a healthy Jewish lens for living is conveyed to each student; a lens that supports love of life and respect for life.” — Rabbi Goldie Milgram

39. “Walkabout historically refers to a rite of passage during which Indigenous male Australians would undergo a journey during adolescence, typically ages 10 to 16, and live in the wilderness for a period as long as six months to make the spiritual and traditional transition into manhood.” — Richard Christie

40. “It is undoubtedly a physical rite of passage – the young man undertaking it must live a temporarily nomadic lifestyle and survive alone – but it is also a spiritual one. It is a journey both spiritual and physical over the ancestral Aboriginal lands which takes place over a period as long as six months.” — Sarah P. Young

Learn More About Vision Quests With These Quotes

Here are some quotes sharing about vision quests and personal experiences.

41. “The longer and deeper I stayed in solitude in nature, the more familiar [the wildlife] became.” — John P. Milton

42. “What I found was that there was actually quite a large selection of books out there on vision quests and other similar types of explorations of self.” — Lisa Riley

43. “Fasting and meditation are the central practices to bring about a profound experience of awakening to Spirit and realizing your Oneness with all creation.” — Alberto Villoldo, Ph.D.

44. “There was no doubt in my mind that my journey on the mountain was over and that I would leave when the shaman came back to check on me later that day.” — Jordan Cohayney

45. “And while I stood there, I saw more than I can tell, and I understood more than I saw; for I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of things in the spirit, and the shape of all shapes as they must live together like one being.” — Black Elk

Enjoy these final quotes with perspectives about rites of passage and their benefits.

46. “But if the vision was true and mighty, as I know, it is true and mighty yet; for such things are of Spirit, and it is in the darkness of their eyes that men get lost.” — Black Elk

47. “When you know who you are, when your mission is clear, and you burn with the inner fire of unbreakable will, no cold can touch your heart; no deluge can dampen your purpose. You know that you are alive.” — Chief Seattle

48. “If it is written and read with serious attention, a novel, like a myth or any great work of art, can become an initiation that helps us to make a painful rite of passage from one phase of life, one state of mind, to another.” — Karen Armstrong

49. “I’m not going to recommend recklessness but somewhere just short of it—testing yourself and proactively pursuing a rite of passage has become necessary because in western developed countries we’ve become very comfort-addicted.” — Sean Penn

50. “In certain remote African tribes, there’d be some incredible four-day rites of passage ceremony involving tattooing and potent hallucinogenic drugs extracted from tree frogs, and village elders smearing my body with monkey blood, but here, rites of passage is all about three new pairs of pants and stuffing your duvet in a bin-liner.” — David Nicholls