Questing
What is a Vision Quest and why should you do it?
A vision quest is an experiential activity where you sit in Nature by yourself and BE. It is under the auspices of a leader (me) who has been trained and has prepared you for being alone, with no food, no water, no fire, no tent, no cell phone (Oh no!) for one to four days, and is praying for you. Fasting by going without food or water is NOT the source of the visions, but deepens the experience. If you have medical issues (such as diabetes or are taking prescription medications), please tell Three Bears so special arrangement can be made to accommodate you.The vision quest is a way of setting aside the daily aspects of life in order to seek communication with a Higher Being. On a quest, you are searching for something; you may or may not know what that something is. You might have specific questions, or you may just know that you need to pay attention to who you are and why you are here. Perhaps you are at a crossroad in life and are asking for guidance. You may just be curious about what a vision quest is and what you will experience during it.
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When you come back in after completing your quest, we will discuss your experiences: what you saw, heard, felt, or dreamed during this time. We say someone’s vision quest starts the moment they commit to attending, which may be one or more months before being “on the mountain”, so that also will be addressed. I will help interpret your experiences and you may receive answers to some of your questions. I will then give you a medicine name based on your experiences.
Supporting
What does it mean to support at the Vision Quest?
Some people at the vision quest that are supporters may have supported in the past, while others may have quested, so they have a good understanding of what it means to support. However, anyone can support, perhaps to better understand the vision quest and see if they want to quest themselves sometime. Others may support a particular quester because they are a friend or relative.
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Supporting is a form of quest in itself, as supporters will have time for reflection and meditation, like the questers, but they may not be fasting like the questers. The main responsibility of a supporter is praying for the questers. The supporters also will participate in keeping the “Sacred Fire” burning until all the questers have returned. The all night vigil with the Fire is shared in shifts.
About
Give me some more details please!
The BearHeart Vision Quest Camp is a “Closed Camp”, where everyone in Camp MUST be a Quester or Supporter, with no guests. Everyone must arrive before the start of the vision quest and remain until the last quester returns. If someone quests one or two nights, with everyone going out starting Wednesday afternoon, then they will remain in Camp until those out three nights return on Sunday morning.
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The vision quest starts Sunday morning, so people must arrive Saturday in order to set up their tents. You will need camping gear, such as tents and sleeping bags, for the time before questing, but you can take a sleeping bag and tarp while questing. A limited number of tents and sleeping bags are available for loan if reserved in advance; there will be a nominal cleaning fee for loaned camping gear. Questers will be provided detailed information on the vision quest process, and on what they might want to have while questing, although some may choose to take only a wool blanket for their quest. There will be a Camp Kitchen and meals will be provided, and we will try to accommodate special dietary requirements if you send your special dietary requirements before the vision quest, preferably in your Letter of Intent.
The BearHeart Vision Quest is held in south-central New Mexico, in the Lincoln National Forest near Cloudcroft, NM. It is in a heavily timbered area of the mountains, at an elevation of 9,100 feet, and held starting the first Weekend in September. It can be rainy and cool because of the elevation. I have been doing Ceremonies at this location for over 25 years, so I can help you prepare for the vision quest and answer your questions.
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Suggested Donations:
Questers $600
Supporters $300
There is never a charge for Ceremonies. Donations are according to your lifestyle and no one will be turned away for monetary reasons. You may work out a payment plan with Mike Three Bears. The requested donations support the physical requirements of the BearHeart Vision Quest. The donations are used to purchase food since meals are provided, rental of porta-potties, travel expenses for Three Bears, and purchase of firewood.
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Those that register for the vision quest will be provided detailed information to prepare you for your time on the mountain, which will be memorable and a true blessing. It is impossible for someone who hasn’t gone through the vision quest process to understand how important it is. People might think a quester coming in after being out three nights with no food or water would be tired and dragging, but they invariably are energized and glowing like a Coleman lantern.
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It is important that you register for the vision quest as early as possible so that I can plan accordingly. To register, go to the RSVP link listed below. Questers will need to send to me a deposit of $100 (non refundable, but it can be applied to any future BearHeart Vision Quest), a Letter of Intent, and an unopened package of tobacco. The tobacco is very important because with it you are asking me to place you out on your vision quest and, when I accept it, I am agreeing to do so. This then becomes a formal contract between us. Your final payment of the rest of your donation should be completed at least a month before the start of the vision quest. Of course, we usually have some last minute registrations and have always been able to accommodate them.
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See You in 2025!