Healing and Vision Quests at Sacred Places
Visiting sacred places can have a profoundly positive impact on
people's lives. Earth is dotted with power centers where people
have experienced visions, healings, prophecies, inspiration or
insight into the meaning of their lives. Stonehenge in England,
the Pyramids in Egypt, Machu Picchu in Peru, Sedona in Arizona
and Mount Shasta in California are among the world's best known
power sites, but there are over 1,000 stone circles, holy wells,
sacred forests, healing springs, oracle caves and pagan temples
across the planet that have been attracting visitors since
ancient times.
The healing power of sacred places
Only 30 miles from Santa Fe, New Mexico is El Santuario de
Chimayo where 300,000 visitors each year come to scoop sand from
a hole in the floor of the "Room of Miracles." Its walls are
lined with letters and photographs from hundreds of thankful
pilgrims who say they were healed here. Cornwall, in the
southwest of England, has more than a dozen holy wells where,
like Lourdes in France, miraculous cures have been reported for
hundreds of years. Jean Shinoda Bolen, MD, a psychiatrist and
clinical professor at the University of California, documented
the healing power of both prayer and pilgrimage in her book,
Close to the Bone. "The energy of sacred places is very subtle,"
she said. "The healing capacity of a place can aid the healing
process similar to the way that prayer can. When someone goes on
a pilgrimage believing they may be healed there, they can set
powerful forces into motion."
Vision quests lead to self-understanding
Going on vision quests is a North American native tradition that
has become a popular New Age practice. It involves spending time
alone in an isolated, often wilderness setting, in hope of
receiving a message to guide one's life. When Helene A. Shik
leads spiritual tour groups to islands in Scotland's Inner
Hebrides, she often includes a vision quest opportunity at a
holy well called Tobar na h'oige (the Fountain of Youth) on the
tiny island of Iona. A popular pilgrimage site for Pagans and
Christians alike, Iona is the burial place of 48 ancient
Scottish kings, including Duncan, who was murdered by Macbeth in
1040. Shik says Iona was a sacred isle for pre-historic Celts
and later for the Druids. "It's a place where the veil between
the worlds is thin," she says, "where we can transcend time and
space." Shik says her tours give people new perspectives on
their lives, enabling them to understand themselves more
clearly. "Sometimes people learn more about themselves in two
weeks with me than they could in 20 years of therapy."
Sedona vortexes stimulate creativity
One of the most power energy centers in the USA is Sedona,
Arizona. Once a secret known to few outsiders save for Hollywood
crews who filmed countless western movies in its picturesque
canyons, Sedona became an artists' colony in the 1950s when
surrealist painter and sculptor Max Ernst and author Kahlil
Gibran moved in. After the 1987 Harmonic Convergence was held in
Sedona, it became the New Age center of the country. A 1995
study by the Chamber of Commerce found that 64% of Sedona's four
million visitors per year come to find "some kind of spiritual
experience." The focal points of Sedona's power are four energy
vortexes, identified in 1980 by trance medium Paige Bryant. It
is a rare visitor who does not feel invigorated by the vortex
energy. Many people who retire to Sedona because of its mild
climate and beautiful scenery suddenly develop an interest in
painting, sculpture or crafts work, even though they had no
previous artistic interests. It is not uncommon for visitors to
fall in love with Sedona, buy homes there, and then a few months
later have to move out because they are unable to withstand the
constant force of so much energy. Sedona is also the
headquarters for dozens of astrologers, psychics, spiritual
counselors, massage therapists and other energy workers. A local
psychic association member joked that "Sedona is the only city
in the world with 1,500 channels and no TV station."
How to get the most from sacred sites
People hoping for a transformational travel experience can
enhance their chances of a non-ordinary event by preparing in
advance of their visit. Before a native youth went on a vision
quest, he or she would train with a shaman to learn about the
spirit world. They might take part in extensive prayers,
fasting, drumming, chanting, dancing and even psyotropoic herbs
or mushrooms. You can't expect to have a similar quality
experience if you simply show up at a place like Stonehenge, buy
a ticket, follow a tour guide around and take a few pictures.
Dr. Jean Shinoda Bolen suggests, "You need to approach a
pilgrimage site with an attitude of openness. Since you are
going there to be affected by the place, you have to allow
yourself to be affected." At the very least, you should approach
a sacred place with a humble attitude and ask permission from
the spirits before you enter.