The aim of this contribution is a greater understanding of the relation between fasting and vision quest, bringing light to benefits and risks of fasting and giving you the tools to experiment on your own.
The vision quest is an old ritual for connecting with Spirit and our own deepest purpose. It is traditionally a solitary pilgrimage — similar to the retreats taken by ancient spiritual masters — that in many cultures was preceded by fasting and meditation. The seeker then goes deep into the forest or another natural setting and opens to divine guidance.
The purpose of a vision quest is to discover that we are all inhabitants of the Earth, the one with all creation.
The quest can be a face-to-face meeting with ourselves, our destiny, and discovering our ability to co-create with Spirit.
A vision quest can change our life forever.
The vision quest takes a commitment, and will likely cause some physical and emotional discomfort. But it’s a powerful way to initiate transformation, to jump-start our personal evolution.
Tips for a successful vision quest
Location: The best place to do the vision quest is a remote natural area.
However, with some discipline and creativity, it can be done in the city park or at your home.
Choose a place that is beautiful, safe, and sufficiently secluded so that you will not be interrupted. You may also opt for a campground.
Equipment: Take a sleeping bag and tent; notebook or journal and a pen to record dreams and any memories or strong feelings that arise. Take plenty of water! Maybe some warm clothes for the night.
Do not take a computer or other electronic devices (a cell phone for emergencies is OK), or any reading material.
Be sure to tell someone exactly where you’ll be.
Setting the space: When you get to your vision quest space, draw a circle about 20 feet in diameter around your tent. This is your spot, and you will stay inside this circle for several days, stepping out only to relieve yourself.
Time: Leave your watch at home. Set your inner clock by the sun, the moon and the stars.
Boredom: You will be bored. Take it as an indication that you are getting close to the state of contemplation you want to be in. Stay with the boredom, it is part of the process. Like hunger, it will pass.
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Meditation: You’ll have plenty of time to meditate.
Prayer: Give thanks for the beauty around you, for every breath you take, for the creatures around you, even for your hunger pangs. Practice praying with your heart and not with your head.
Ending the vision quest: Plan to end your vision quest before nightfall on the day 3-5. Be sure to pick up all trash, and carry it out with you. Leave the place as you found it - or cleaner. Leave no trace.
Fasting: Fasting is a central part of the vision quest. Water fasting, that’s it!
In addition to putting the body into ketosis, it detoxifies the cells and turns on production of stem cells in the brain. You will get hungry, and you might experience mood swings, low energy, and irritability for a day or so. Most of that is caused by your body detoxifying. You can tell when you’ve gone into ketosis because your hunger pangs will go away.
This is not intermittent fasting that has value in everyday life. This is extended, spiritual fasting.
You will likely notice the benefits after the fast. While we fast, we detox. After it we feed our body and brain with superfoods.
Fasting for three to five days is perfectly safe for most people in good health.
If you have any concerns, are diabetic, taking medications, or dealing with acute illness, do not fast without first consulting a physician.
During your vision quest, listen to your body and follow its guidance. If at any time you feel very sick, or your blood sugar is dropping dangerously, break your fast.
Many benefits of fasting are summarized below:
- Stimulates fat burning
- Improves energy level
- Reduces inflammation
- Takes stress off digestive system
- Stimulates cellular autophagy
- Improves genetic repair mechanism (human growth hormone, resetting DNA, optimizing hormones)
- Stimulates development of stem cells
- Improves insulin sensitivity
- Reduces chronic disease risk
- Improves relationship with food
- Enhances mental health
- Promotes spiritual growth and intuition.
The Greek philosopher Plato said:
“I fast for greater physical and mental efficiency.”
Here is what Dave Asprey said in his book Fast This Way (2021), p.2
“What I was searching for was a path to becoming bulletproof - to finding the unshakable inner strength that would let me to become a master of all that I am, including the cravings for things that weren’t good for me. That search was what brought me to the shaman. I wanted to confront true hunger, to the point where I could free myself from food and all the ways it occupied my mind. There is no way to fail at fasting if you are alone in the desert! I also wanted to work through my loneliness by facing down the kind of isolation that comes only by completely removing yourself from human contact. So I walked into the cave in the Arizona desert and away from the rest of the world. For four solitary days I consumed only water and maybe a little Sonoran dust. By the time I walked back out, I had experienced a fast that changed my life.”
Ottawa, ON
