The Vision Quest (Dates for late 2012 to be announced)

The vision quest is a remarkable process during which you are prepared to go out on your own into nature in a safe way. This deepens not only the relationship with yourself but also with something greater than oneself.

This vision quest in Southern Africa has particular significance in that it takes us back to our aboriginal home. Our distant hominid ancestors evolved in Africa and it seems very likely that modern humans emerged in Southern Africa at some time during the last 200,000 years. The particular area where you will be questing has long been a source of many valuable medicines for the San people - the so-called the 'first people' of Africa.

The adventure starts with you driving (under your own steam) to a magical farm in the Little Karoo.

Here, for most of the time, we will occupy rustic accommodation with hot showers and comfortable beds.

During the first four days we prepare you well for your quest. You will not only be learning how to take care of yourselves in a practical and safe way but also how to get deeply in touch with yourselves and the natural the world around you.

During this preparatory time you will be exploring your life using a variety of tools in an integrated way. Some of these tools derive from western psychology, some from African and Native American traditions, and yet others from Buddhist psychology. Through this exploration, you will be getting to know yourself in an unusually profound way.

On the morning of the fourth day, we leave the accommodation and move to a base camp. Final preparations are made and in the evening a light supper is eaten. Early the next morning, you will go out into the wilderness to a spot you will have chosen and there you will remain for four days and four nights on your own. Whether or not you fast during this time is up to you but, whether or not you do, we insist that you have plenty of drinking water with you. During this, the solo, period you are welcome to return to base camp at any time during should you need to do so.

There will be a guide present at base camp at all times. Many of the more dangerous animals that we may encounter on the trails will not be present in the area in which we hold the vision quest. So, there will be not be any lions, elephant, hippo's, crocodiles, buffalo, and so on to be concerned about. Bear in mind, also, that you do not have to have a 'vision' during your solo time. There is nothing that has to happen. Whatever you experience is what we work with; there is no right nor wrong during this extraordinary time.

The next stage of the quest is the return - the return to the group and a return to the accommodation we started from. Here, over the next three days we will listen to the stories of your experiences and we will help you to make sense of these so that you are able to return to your lives in a new way.

Typical responses from those who have quested

“Thank-you once again for the most beautiful time of my life.”

“I would like to again express my most sincere thanks for your guidance and teachings during the vision quest ...  I have never felt so safe and trusting of anyone which enabled me to open up in ways that I never thought possible of myself.”  

“The care and attention that went into the preparation and hosting of the quest as a whole was truly remarkable – not only as regards the work around setting the quest intention, but the logistics, venue, food, etc.”

“I cannot thank you enough.”

“Now that I am back in my day-to-day life, I wanted to contact you one last time to say a big thank you for all the work, creativity and vision that you put into making the [quest] such an extra-ordinary experience.”

The quest “was a deeply moving, inspiring and transformational experience that I will always treasure.  … I found something within myself that I hadn't realized I possessed and I am beginning to look at myself and my life with fresh eyes as a result.  Thank you.”

Photographs

For photographs taken at the venue, please click this link

Safety

Safety is of paramount importance throughout all Ecotherapy Institute activities.
Naturally, there are risks involved in being in wilderness areas just as there are risks driving on a motorway or crossing a busy road. Our aim is to keep these risks to a minimum.

We have found that all who come on vision quests or trails have fears of some kind. This is natural and we take a great deal of care in assisting you with these fears. Bear in mind that you will be with experienced and careful guides and so the objective risks on all of our activities are small.

The cost of the Vision Quest

The cost is R8800 per person for South African residents and £900 per person for all others.

This fee includes all expenses during the time spent at the vision quest site. The only exception to this would be emergency medical or rescue costs which would be at the participant's own expense.

Travel to and from the site is at the participants own cost.

Conditions

The Eleven Day Vision Quest is limited to a maximum of twelve participants and a minimum of eight.

If there are less than eight fully paid-up participants one month prior to the start of the quest, the quest will be cancelled and all money that has been paid will be refunded in full.

Please note that we cannot permit alcohol or any psychoactive drugs into the areas in which we work as we will be depending on each other for our safety.

Booking

Booking requires a 50% deposit which is only refundable in the case of the quest being cancelled.

To book please contact Bill Petrie (billpetrie95@gmail.com) and he will lead you through the process.

(All images and content © 2003 to Bill Petrie)