What Is a Vision Quest?

Native Americans used vision quests as rites of passage and as part of their spiritual practice to receive help, guidance, and protection from the supernatural realm. To read more, see Purpose of a Vision Quest in Native American Cultures.

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Peyote Cactus in Native American Traditions: The Drug’s Uses, Effects, and Legality

Native Americans have used peyote since before recorded history. They revere the cactus as a sacred plant. But what exactly are the uses, effects, and legality of peyote? Click here to read more.

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Funny and Thought-Provoking Religious Signs

Do you enjoy exploring unique perspectives on religions and having your thoughts and ideas about faith challenged? For a compilation of some profound (as well as some very funny) photos of religious signs from unlikely sources, see the article Interesting Religious Signs.



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Did Michael Jackson Have a Hole in His Soul?

It seems that we can't get enough of Michael Jackson. Even after his death, we scramble like rabid dogs for any little scrap of rehashed news we can bite into. What is it that fascinates us so much about him? Why does he thrill our imaginations and captivate our psyches? What was his power?

Aside from his almost otherworldly talent, I believe that his struggles to live in this world, his feelings of being an outsider, his desires to escape mundane reality through his creation of an alternate, fantasy-based reality also appeal to and repulse us at the same time. I think that his struggle to find peace, solace, acceptance, and purpose in this life are very much our own struggles.

To read more about my ideas about why Michael Jackson became the icon that he did and what this tells us about ourselves, visit Michael Jackson’s Spiritual Search and What We Can Learn About Ourselves From Him.



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Judaism, the Holocaust, and Questions

The Holocaust brings up all of my questions, concerns, and doubts about God and about whether there is a purpose to life or not. Victor Frankl’s book Man’s Search for Meaning is one of the most profound responses to the Holocaust and to the existential problems it presents I’ve come across. It is one of the greatest books written on the subject because it looks unflinchingly at the utter horror of Holocaust, yet it still remains hopeful despite the evidence that should drive one to pessimism. Our attitude is indeed our last freedom. I think we have a responsibility to ourselves and others to remain positive, hopeful, and optimistic about human nature and about the future–for if we don’t, then we are sure to repeat the mistakes of the past. This is not to say that we should be blindly hopeful. To the contrary, our hope should be based on our desire to do better, to be kinder, to create something more beneficial to leave to those who come after us.

To read more about my exploration of Judaism, the Holocaust, and my own search for God, visit My Search for God and Judaism.



Holocaust Memorial in Miami, Florida (photo source)

Heart of the Healer Foundation

The Heart of the Healer is a non-profit foundation dedicated to the preservation of indigenous wisdom and the preservation of the Earth. Led by Oscar Miro-Quesada, a practicing shaman, and his wife, Cindy, the Heart of the Healer organizes gatherings around the world to honor the sacred wisdom of earth-honoring traditions by initiating participants into the magical, intriguing, yet foreign world of visionary shamanism.

To read more about my experience as a participant at one of the Heart of the Healer gatherings as well as more about the work and mission of this fascinating organization, visit The Heart of The Healer Foundation: Sacred Rituals & Ceremonies to Reconnect Us with The Earth.

Capitol Reef National Park, Utah (photo source)

How Is Ayahuasca Used in Shamanism?

I've always had a passionate interest in religions, particularly the mystical aspects of them, and spirituality. For the past few years, I've been researching, studying, and attending many events that deal with indigenous beliefs and practices. Most recently, I've been learning more about shamanism, the ancient way of connecting the seen and unseen worlds, that has been practiced around the world since the beginning of human history.

Ayahuasca tea has been used in shamanism in South America for thousands of years. The mysterious effects of the brew on consciousness are not fully understood. The debate over the legality of the use of the tea continues in many countries today.

To read more about ayahuasca and its use in shamanism, visit Sacred Ayahuasca in Shamanism: Its Uses, Effects, and Legality.



Preparation of ayahuasca (photo source)