peyote ceremony

    Article

    A sacred service in the tradition of the Native American Church, in which healing, spiritual cleansing, and vision quests are conducted through praying, chanting, and drumming, facilitated by the ingestion of peyote. Peyote is a hallucinogenic cactus that induces an altered state of consciousness believed to enhance connection with the spiritual realms. The peyote ceremony, which is also known as Peyote Way, usually lasts at least one night and can be performed regularly (once a moth, for example), or according to need, in cases when an individual suffers from acute illness or when the community faces an urgent challenge.

    Photo Credit

     
    "Peyote road sand half-circle, in preparation for a peyote ceremony, June 7, 2008" by Haiduc is licensed under Public Domain.

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    References

     
    Aberle, David Friend
         1983   Peyote Religion among the Navajo. In Handbook Of North American Indians:
             Southwest. Alfonso Ortiz, ed. Washington, D. C.: Smithsonian Institution.