12/10/98

In: Watson, A.E.; Aplet, G. and Hendee, J. C. 1999. Personal, Societal and Ecological Values of Wilderness: Sixth World Wilderness Congress Proceedings on Research, Management, and Allocation, Vol. II, Proc. RMRS-P-000. Ogden, UT: USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station.

Marilyn Foster Riley is director of Wilderness Transitions, Inc., Netkeeper of the Wilderness Guides Council, and affiliate assistant professor of Recreation at the University of Idaho, rileymr@earthlink.net. John C. Hendee is director of the University of Idaho Wilderness Research Center and professor of Resource Recreation and Tourism hendeejo@uidaho.edu.

Financial support for this study was provided by the University of Idaho Wilderness Research Center, the McIntyre-Stennis Program of Support for Forestry Research and Wilderness Transitions, Inc.

Wilderness Vision Quest Clients, Motivations and Reported Benefits from an Urban Based Program 1988 - 1997

by

Marilyn Foster Riley

and

John C. Hendee

Abstract

A questionnaire survey of clients participating in an eight-day vision quest operated by Wilderness Transitions, Inc. from 1988-1997 yielded a 78 percent return. The vision questers were older than typical wilderness visitors; two-thirds were female, with the stated motives for questing suggesting a spiritual and deeply personal search for self-discovery, insight and meaningful life transition. Reported benefits were greater connections to SELF, SELF-EMPOWERMENT, and connections to OTHER reflecting an outward focus including the spiritual idea of connection to all things. Respondents were emphatic that wilderness naturalness and solitude were essential to gaining their benefits. Findings and respondent testimony suggested a process by which increasing degrees of connections to self, culminating in feelings of empowerment, may then lead to experiences of spirituality defined as connections to other. It is as if one must progress from a strong connection to self in nature as preparation for experiencing spirituality in nature. The study documents that wilderness vision questing, and ancient, cross-cultural practice involving time alone in nature while fasting, also attracts modern people seeking personal growth and renewal, and demonstrates the spiritual and healing values of wilderness.

Wilderness Experience Programs (WEPs) take paying clients to wilderness for personal growth, therapy, and education and are an important connection and source of healing between wilderness and urban society. WEPs operate worldwide and appear to be increasing in the United States where an estimated 500 WEPs now operate (Friese and others; Gager and others1998). These programs are diverse, ranging from the well known Outward Bound, to others featuring wilderness education as a path to personal growth and wilderness therapy for adolescents. Wilderness experience programs are an important and growing use of wilderness for human growth and healing.

This paper reports results from a study of participants over ten years in one kind of WEP, a wilderness vision quest program featuring time alone in nature while fasting (or solo fasts) that is commercially operated by Wilderness Transitions, Inc., a non-profit educational organization near San Francisco, California (Riley and others 1998).

Using a mailed questionnaire we surveyed Wilderness Transitions’ vision quest clients from a ten year period, 1988 – 1997, exploring their characteristics, reasons for going on a vision quest (Table 1), and the benefits they said they gained from the experience (Table 2). We also asked about the importance of naturalness and solitude to their experience, and whether they might have gained as much from vision questing in a developed recreation area with roads and campgrounds.

International Roots of Vision Questing

Vision questing, or vision fasting, is a spiritual tradition that has been practiced for millennia in countless traditional cultures around the world (Cruden 1996). It may be best known as a growing up rite of passage for adolescents entering adulthood in some Native American cultures. The vision quest tradition among Native American cultures is described in many books including Nabokov (1987), Lame Deer and Erdoes (1972), Storm (1972), Neihardt (1972), Mahdi and others (1996). However, many indigenous cultures all over the world practice similar rites of passage, initiation or renewal, involving time alone in nature in search of insight as to who they are (self-knowledge), and direction and purpose for their next phase in life.

For example, rites of passage involving time alone in nature are reported among indigenous cultures such as: the Australian aborigines (Elkin 1948), the bushman of the Kalahari (Bjerre 1960), the Mayan Indians of Guatemala and Belize, the Zuni of New Mexico (Tedlock and Tedlock 1993), the Mende of West Africa (Gilmore 1990) and many others. These ceremonies of initiation and renewal are valued because they confirm the importance of the individual to the tribe. They provide a safe and valuable transition test bridging one life phase to the next and which, because of the discipline and guidance required, enhance the self-esteem of participants, develop character and provide great social value for the tribe by enforcing the common beliefs and values of the community (Elkin 1948; Van Gennep 1960).

Modern Wilderness Vision Questing

Modern people have lost their vision, beliefs and values. We feel separated from our roots in nature and in history. Fortunately, modern wilderness vision questing retains the three-stage process of traditional rites of passage: preparation ("severance from everyday life"), completion of a three or four-day fasting time alone in nature ("threshold") and re-entry back into daily life ("incorporation") (Foster and Little 1988; Foster 1995). This time tested formula for reconnecting to that which is most important to individuals and communities works to reconnect the body, mind and heart (or repair the lost connection to earth and spirit). Constantly bombarded by the pressures of our culture, where many things profound or beautiful are trivialized or popularized, where life is for the young and beautiful, we are led to believe that status or material possessions will make us happy or that finding the right person, mate or guru, will solve all our problems. But of course that is not true – the answers lie within each of us – we just have to find them. Wilderness has long been known as a place of peace, self-discovery and renewal, where it’s possible to slow down and gain insights on the most profound issues in our lives. Such are the goals of modern wilderness vision questing (Riley 1986; Hart 1996).

We estimate that there are about 50 active vision quest programs in the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, mostly small operations offering one to five quests per year, with perhaps a dozen programs leading six to eight a year. These findings are based on the 120 plus dues paying members of the Wilderness Guides Council, the international organization of vision quest guides (Riley 1999). Most vision quest programs serve mixed groups of men and women, but some focus on specialized clients, e.g. youth, women, men, families, recovering addicts or persons in counseling.

Vision Quests by Wilderness Transitions, Inc.

One company that offers vision quests is Wilderness Transitions, Inc. They conduct five or six a year for clients who pay $595, plus their own transportation expenses, to attend four pre-trip meetings, an eight-day trip to wilderness that includes four days and nights of solo fasting, and a trip reunion two weeks after the return (Riley and others 1998). The vision quests are advertised at activity fairs like the San Francisco Whole Life Exposition and in local resource directories like "Common Ground," always inviting potential clients to a free slide show about the vision quest. After the slide show, viewers who are interested and make the financial and emotional commitment for going on a vision quest, stay for the first pre-trip meeting.

A Typical Wilderness Transitions, Inc. Vision Quest: The lifeblood of any business is satisfied customers, so questers are prepared carefully in four pre-trip meetings, covering such things as how to prepare for the four days and nights of fasting alone, and what kind of backpacking equipment is needed. Leave no trace camping and safety procedures are taught. Travel arrangements are made. A constant focus is helping questers develop their intent –that is, what they hope to get from their quest. In addition to practices such as journaling and recording dreams, time-honored rituals, ceremonies and meditation techniques are often suggested as ways to help certain questers achieve their intent. A key part of the preparation is the nature walk, a day alone in the out of doors early in the preparation, and during which exposure to nature may stimulate deeper thoughts about the intent of one’s quest (Riley 1997). Wilderness Transitions, Inc has used the process described for ten years. Other vision quest programs may vary in the time spent in different activities, but always include preparation, a solo fast and sharing stories after the return.

Trips usually begin on a Saturday, when the six to twelve questers travel the 300 - 500 miles to a base camp near the end of road access in a desert or mountain area in California or Nevada; the location and elevation of the trip depending on the season. After setting up base camp and providing orientation and safety information, questers explore the area to find a solo site with their desired degree of isolation, but usually only one-half to two miles from base camp. In the evening preparation continues around a campfire, always using a fire-pan and wood brought from home in desert areas. The next day questers continue their search for a solo site and, on finding it, may take out some of the four gallons of water they will use during their fast – one for each day. During this time a personal conference is held with each quester to help them further prepare, clarify their intent for the solo fast, relieve anxieties and insure safety.

Group meetings in a traditional circle (council) these two days in base camp are rich in sharing of excitement and anticipation, further instruction in safety and tips on journaling to record their questing experience and the abundant dreams that will come on the solo fast. Depending on personal preference, simple rituals and ceremony may be suggested to help questers get in touch with their feelings and address the issues that brought them on their quest. Early the third day in base camp, after hot drinks, a final group meeting and good byes, the questers – now backpackers – go out to spend four days and nights alone. Each day they will leave a sign of their well being at a predetermined place in a mutual check-in with a buddy. On the morning of the fifth day they return to the base camp, usually clear-eyed and feeling empowered, to joyously greet their community of fellow questers. After a breakfast of fruit salad, a council is held where each quester’s story is heard, acknowledged and appreciated. High emotions continue in the now close knit group as the journey home begins, stopping at a hot springs or sauna, salad bar and often camping overnight. Two weeks later a reunion is held and questers share their experience in the hardest part of the quest, the return to daily life. Here they learn the truth of Black Elk’s wisdom, that the real difficulty of a vision is living it in the world for all the people to see (Niehardt 1972).

Methods and Findings

Since we studied clients from only one wilderness vision questing program, operated by Wilderness Transitions, Inc., we make no claim that these clients represent those from other organizations offering similar experiences. The value of studying this one program is that during the entire ten year period of the study, the same process was led by the same leader, Marilyn Riley (assisted by Betty Warren), which minimizes two potentially important sources of variation – the program process and leadership.

How Many Questers?

During the ten-year period 1988 through spring 1997, a total of 297 persons went on vision quests with Wilderness Transitions, Inc.; 65 percent of them were women and 35 percent men. Thirty of these individual quests were by repeat clients (about 10 percent), so we subtracted them and also subtracted 27 former clients whose addresses could not be located, thereby arriving at a total of 240 potential questionnaire respondents. Seventy-eight percent of these former vision questers responded to our one-page questionnaire after three mailings – a 76 percent response rate for women and 81 percent by men.

Who Were the Vision Questers?

The questers were almost exclusively urban, and while some had been camping, most had never been to wilderness. About three-fourths were from the San Francisco Bay area, but with an increasing number from out of state and some from other countries.

Since this is a commercial wilderness program advertised to the public, we were interested in how these clients compared demographically to the typically young adult, upper middle class wilderness recreationists (Hendee et al 1990). We found them to be similar in that they were highly educated: 63 percent were college graduates, and 36 percent had done post graduate work. Not surprisingly, given this high degree of educational attainment most were employed in upper middle class jobs such as healing and counseling (26 percent), business or government (24 percent), teaching/education (13 percent) and computer/technical (11 percent). We think it is interesting that more than one-fourth (26 percent) were employed in jobs in the healing and counseling category which includes psychotherapists, nurses, massage therapists and others one might expect to believe in the natural healing qualities of a vision quest experience in nature.

Thus, in education and occupation these vision questers resembled traditional wilderness recreationists. But they differed from traditional wilderness visitors in age and gender. The vision questers were older, 52 percent of them being over 40 and 17 percent being over 50 years old. Women outnumbered men 2 to 1 and were also older, with 62 percent of them being over 40 compared to 38 percent of the men. The predominance of women may be due to the fact that two women led Wilderness Transitions’ trips. The leaders also felt that a great many of the women questers were seeking healing from wounds related to their gender, such as sexual discrimination, harassment or abuse. The older age of the vision questers may reflect the greater likelihood of mature persons to seek introspective experiences.

Why Did They Quest?

Each respondent indicated their first and second most important reason for going on a wilderness vision quest from a list of common reasons gleaned from leader perceptions and trip evaluation reports collected by Wilderness Transitions, Inc. over the years (Anderson and Hendee 1996). Based on conventional wisdom about wilderness recreation, one might think that "adventure/challenge" and "recreation/nature experience" would have been selected as key reasons for going on any wilderness trip. But only 7 percent of these wilderness vision questers selected "adventure/challenge" and only 3 percent selected "recreation/nature experience" as their first most important reason for going on a vision quest (Table 1). Further, only 9 percent selected "adventure/challenge" and 2 percent selected "recreation/nature experience" as their second most important reasons (Table 1).

The first and second "most important reasons" cited by our respondents for going on a vision quest were (Table 1): "spiritual journey/self discovery" (33 and 24 percent); "personal renewal, fresh perspective" (18 and 25 percent); "life stage transition" (14 and 12 percent); and "personal empowerment" (11 and 12 percent). Thus, the motives for going on a wilderness vision quest overwhelmingly suggest a spiritual and deeply personal search for self-discovery, insight, renewal and meaningful transition in these clients’ lives.

What Benefits Did They Report?

We also asked the questers: "In your own words, what were the most important benefits you gained from participating in a wilderness vision quest"? On the average, respondents included two concepts in their narrative answer. We coded their responses to this open-ended question into 406 comments using qualitative analysis procedures described by Strauss and Corbin (1990). We began by tabulating key words and phrases actually used by the respondents (open codes), gradually combining them into 12 similar categories called axial codes and finally merging them into a few central themes called selective codes (see Table 2). Axial codes implied benefits relating to the "self" (56 percent), and 44 percent relating to what we call "other," or a greater connection to the larger universe.

Benefits Related To The Self: More than half (56 percent) of the key words and phrases in the respondents’ descriptions of benefits they said they received related to "the self" (Table 2). There appeared to be a "Self Awareness leading to Empowerment leading to Connection with Other (Spirituality)" continuum in the pattern of responses (see

Figure 1).

There are two important elements in this continuum. First, the responses implied various degrees of depth of self-connection ranging from self-awareness (shallower) to feelings of self-reliance and empowerment (deeper). For example, benefit comments in category 1 - self-connection/awareness seemed shallower than comments in category 2 -self-discovery/identity/purpose or 3 - clarity/insight/self understanding. The apparent "depth of self-connection trend" continues with category 4 - self knowledge/acceptance, followed by 5 - self confidence/reliance, 6 - facing fears/trusting nature and then category 7 - empowerment/strengthened.

The data forming these seven categories are based on key words and phrases from individual respondents, which often implied that the person was at one point on the continuum or another. But actual phrases from some respondents implied movement along the continuum during the course of their quest. It was as if the fruits of increasing depth in "connections to self" are borne in feelings of self-reliance, courage to face fears and empowerment.

Benefits Related to Other: Forty-four percent of the key words and phrases in the respondents’ descriptions of benefits implied "Connections to Other," or the larger universe. Specifically, several categories reflect an outward focus – on "other" rather than "self," e.g., Table 2 - category No. 8 "connection to nature" reflects a focus on "other" and No. 9 "spirituality/connectedness" – which included comments reporting feelings of being "interconnected to all things," or "the universe" (a spiritual idea). Likewise, category No. 10 "healing/renewal," reflected such things as "new perspective" and "new direction," which also implies a focus on "other" rather than self because they reflect a different (healed and renewed) view of the world in relation to the individual. For example, one quester wrote, "I gained a new perspective on my life. A renewal of my spirit. Reconnecting to the earth." Another quester wrote, "Fasting and solitude in the wilderness for four days provided the space to go inwards and relate to my own internal world while at the same time experiencing myself as part of the vast universe – i.e., connection with inside and outside."

Our "spirituality/connectedness," category included many comments such as "feeling connected to all things" or "oneness" that parallels the definitions of spirituality in the literature (McDonald 1989).

We believe these data suggest a process by which spiritual experiences in wilderness and nature may come about. That is: increasing degrees of connections to self, culminating in feelings of reliance, strength and empowerment, may then lead to experiences of spirituality – defined as a focus on "other" rather than "self," including feelings of oneness and inter-connectedness to all things (see Figure 1). It’s as if one must progress from a strong connection to self in nature as preparation for experiencing spirituality in nature. For example, one quester said, "The benefit I gained from participating was having the experience of opening to continuous deeper layers and levels of myself and my surroundings." Another quester said, "The benefit I gained was the time alone away from all distractions to really search within and find my answers…and I was able to (then) really connect through nature to my higher self."

We were surprised that comments reflecting "community" as a benefit comprised only six percent of our response, since the group is an important part of vision questing and strong bonds of friendship are formed in the course of sharing such a deep experience. But the data obviously indicate that such sociability, while important, is subordinate to the enhanced self-awareness, empowerment and spiritual benefits.

Is Vision Questing Wilderness Dependent?

But is wilderness, defined as an area with naturalness and solitude, really needed in order for vision quests to result in the kind of self-discovery, empowerment and spirituality benefits we found? The respondents in our study emphatically said "yes." When asked the question, "Would the vision quest experience have been just as effective in a developed recreation area with roads and campgrounds?" One hundred percent of them said, "No!" Their reasons given to support this answer were because of: Distractions (evidence) of civilization (25 percent); Lack of solitude (26 percent); Lack of (dilution of) naturalness (27 percent); Threat of human intrusions (13 percent); and Lack of (less) challenge (9 percent).

Thus, reduced solitude and naturalness, distinguishing characteristics of wilderness, were decisive reasons for rejecting "developed recreation areas with roads and campgrounds" as potential locations for a vision quest. Further affirming the importance of naturalness and solitude was response to a direct question: "How important was being in a wilderness setting with naturalness and solitude to gaining benefits from your vision quest?" Conclusively, 98 percent checked "very important," with the remaining 2 percent saying "important." Nobody said "unimportant" or "very unimportant."

Summary and Conclusions

Wilderness Experience Programs (WEPs) bring paying clients to wilderness and related areas for personal growth, therapy and education. This study of wilderness vision quest clients (one kind of WEP) from a ten-year period, 1988-1997, revealed that the vast majority of these novice, urban wilderness users went on their vision quest in search of spiritual insight, personal transition and renewal – not challenge adventure or recreation (Table 1). These vision questers resembled typical wilderness recreationists in being highly educated and engaged in upper-middle class occupations, but they were older and two-thirds were female. The reported benefits from their wilderness vision quest experience, which included four days and nights fasting alone, suggest that increasing degrees of connections to oneself in nature, culminating in feelings of self-reliance, strength and empowerment, may then lead to experiences of spirituality. Here spirituality is defined as a focus on "other" rather than "self," and including feelings of oneness and interconnectedness to all things. It is as if one must progress from a strong connection with self in nature, as preparation for experiencing spirituality in nature.

The questers were emphatic in their view that their vision quests needed natural surroundings, with 100 percent of them stating that their experience would not have been as effective in a developed recreation area with roads and campgrounds, because of the lack of naturalness (27 percent), reduced solitude (26 percent) and distractions of civilization (25 percent). Being in a wilderness setting with naturalness and solitude was cited as very important (98 percent) or important (2 percent) to gaining benefits from their vision quest.

In conclusion, we believe these findings reveal that:

Wilderness vision questing, an ancient rite of passage featuring time alone in nature while fasting, also attracts modern people seeking personal growth, renewal and transition from wilderness experience. They quest in the wilderness because they seek to know who they are and the meaning of their life journey.

The vision questers we studied perceived wilderness as a spiritual, healing and growing place, where reflective experiences are available as an antidote to the pressures of modern society, and for life renewal and transition. They document the spiritual and healing values of wilderness.

Naturalness and solitude, distinguishing characteristics of wilderness, were perceived as essential conditions for gaining the personal benefits reported by these vision questers. Thus, protection of wilderness to insure the continued existence of areas with naturalness and solitude is important to modern people who may seek healing, new insights and personal truth through wilderness vision questing and other wilderness experiences.

LITERATURE CITED

Anderson, K. and Hendee, J. C. 1996. An Analysis of Evaluation Questionnaires from Participants in Wilderness Vision Quests operated by Wilderness Transitions, Inc. 1988-1995. Unpublished report on file at the University of Idaho Wilderness Research Center, Moscow, Idaho 83844-1144.

Bjerre, J. 1960. Kalahari. Hill and Wang, New York.

Cruden, L. 1996. Thoughts on Contemporary Vision Questing Practices. Shaman’s Drum, Winter 1996, p19-22.

Elkin, A. P. 1948. The Australian Aborigines: How to Understand Them. Angus and Robertson. Sydney, London.

Foster, S. and Little, M. 1988. Book of the Vision Quest. Prentice Hall Press, New York.

Foster, S. 1995. The Wilderness Vision Fast: Therapeutic Use of Wilderness for Self-Discovery, International Journal of Wilderness I (1), 1996. p27-31.

Friese, G. T.; Hendee, J. C and Kinziger, M. 1998. The Wilderness Experience Program Industry in the United States Characteristics and Dynamics. Jour. of Experiential Education, May-June 1998 21(1) 40-45.

Gager, D., Hendee, J. C. and Kinziger, M. 1998. What Managers are Saying and Doing about Wilderness Experience Programs. Journal of Forestry. 96(8) Aug. 33-37.

Gilmore, D. D. 1990. Manhood. Natural History. June 1990, p6-10.

Hart, S. 1996. Facing Our Fears in the Wilderness. Wildfire. Summer 1996. p52-54.

Hendee, J. C.; Stankey, G. H. and. Lucas, R. C. 1990. Wilderness Management. Golden Colorado, N. Am. Press of Fulcrum, 546pp.

Lame Deer, J. (Fire) and Erdoes, R. 1972. Lame Deer Seeker of Visions. Simon and Schuster, New York, 288pp.

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Neihardt, J. 1972. Black Elk Speaks. New York. Pocketbooks, 173pp.

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Riley, M. 1997. Wilderness Vision Quests Tap the Spiritual Values of Wilderness. Women in Natural Resources. 18(1). January 1997, p11-13.

Riley, M.; Warren, B. and Hendee, J. C. 1998. Wilderness Transitions, Inc. Brochure and Trip Schedule for 1996, PO Box 482, Ross, California 94957, http://home.earthlink.net/~rileymr/.

Riley, M. 1999. The Wilderness Guides Council: Expanding Professionalism and Community among Leaders of Wilderness Vision Quests and Rites of Passage Programs. In: Watson, A. E.; Aplet, G. and Hendee J. C. 1999. Personal, Societal and Ecological Values of Wilderness. Sixth World Wilderness Congress Proceedings on Research, Management and Allocation, Vol. II, Proc. RMRS-P-000. Ogden, UT:USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station.

Storm, H. 1972. Seven Arrows. Ballantine, New York.

Strauss, A. and Corbin, J. 1990. Basics of Qualitative Research. Sage Publications, Inc. Newburg Park.

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Van Gennep, A. 1960. The Rites of Passage. University of Chicago Press, 198pp.

 

on a First Vision Quest.

 

Table 2: Themes and Key Categories of Response to the Question: "In your own words, what were the most important benefits you gained from participating in a wilderness vision quest?"