Please edit my paper! (MLA Format)

[illbill]

Hey all - Doing this paper for my world religions class. Basically edit grammatical and citation errors (if any).

My main question regarding MLA format is when I want to cite an idea from material that I don't actually quote directly from... check to see if I did it right.

The paper is only 1/2 done and the intro is 100%, that is what we're supposed to do and the wording we're supposed to use in our thesis statement/outline statement.

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Name
Prof Name
Class #
12 October 2004

TITLE HERE

A Vision Quest assists people in finding psychological and spiritual insights. These insights allow people to grow and transition into individuals they may not have been prior to the experience. This report explores the theory of the Vision Quest as a rite of passage, a summary of the Vision Quest in traditional Lakota religion, a modern interpretation of a Vision Quest focusing on discovering a sign, and a personal analysis of the Vision Quest that was experienced in terms of Van Gennep’s Theory of the rites of passage.

Arnold Van Gennep’s Theory of the Rites of Passage illustrates the journey an individual experiences in order to grow psychologically and spiritually. He believes that an individual must experience three different phases of a rite of passage. The first phase involves the separation of an individual from his or her everyday life or routine. For example, Van Gennep epitomizes the importance of the first phase of separation by giving the example of marriage. In marriage, an individual separates from his or her family and journeys to create another. Although all rites of passage are important in achieving a successful growing experience, Van Gennep emphasizes the crucial importance of the transitional, threshold phase where there is an, “ambiguous time and space betwixt and between fixed positions…” (Hockey, “The importance of being intuitive: Arnold Van Gennep’s The Rites of Passage”, Mortality, 212). The second phase, which Van Gennep calls the liminal phase, is the crucial piece of the puzzle in order to construct a new picture of an individual’s life. It involves the time in between separating from a routine lifestyle to the beginning of a new social period. The third phase of the rites of passage is the, “re-entry into a new social position or period” (Hockey, 212). The individual has completed the process of the rites of passage and is now theoretically reunited with his or her regular lifestyle. The individual should now have an altered perspective on the issue that was initially at hand; whether the person knew the issue at the beginning of the process or not.

The Lakota religion has endured numerous attacks throughout history such as the Assimilation Period from 1890 to 1934. Due to the lack of written history, there is no strict dogma of the Lakota religion except for its fundamental concepts. The religion is consequently unique and diverse to all of its members and sustains itself through oral tradition (Martinez, “The Soul of the Indian: Lakota Philosophy and Vision Quest”, Wicazo Sa Review, 80). Vision quests of Lakota members are historically a male concern. They are intended to provide the individual with the knowledge, imbued by the Wakan Tanka, to become a valuable asset to the community. For example, a Lakota individual desires an intense vision quest where he or she would gain the knowledge to be, “a good hunter, a good warrior, an effective and true medicine man, a diviner… He wanted power to be useful in his tribe” (Martinez, 82). Although the individual experiences the vision quest, the knowledge or skills that the individual acquires collectively benefits the community. A vision can occur anytime, whether awake or asleep, and the individual is not able to choose his or her vision. This further strengthens the notion that vision quests profit the community and not only the individual. Vision quests are typically reserved for individuals with a humble soul who are not burdened by an ambitious ego. Obedience and humility are determining factors when Lakota members are chosen by the superior beings to have a vision quest (Martinez, 82).

[strategery blunder]

1. Posting papers on the internets is a bad idea

Your professor might google it, see this, and think it's plagiarism. Not good.

I'd be nearly impossible to prove yourself innocent unless you got Skinner to release information regarding what IP address your computer/username is tied to and then persuaded your ISP to release information correlating your IP address with you. Not something I would want to do.

With plagiarism, you're pretty much guilty until proven innocent. Fortunately, I have never had to experience this firsthand, but I've heard my share of horror stories.

If you catch this within the editing period, you may want to delete it; otherwise, it might behoove you to ask a mod to do your dirty work for you. I wonder how alerting your own post works?

[Tallison]

2. Eh, if the OP just lists the prof's last name somewhere later in this

thread, it should be proof enough.

[illbill]

3. Prof's name

Dr. Cantelo



As for the editing?

[Tallison]

4. Hang on, coffee's almost ready!

:hangover:

[illbill]

5. :)

[illbill]

6. EDIT this one instead!

A Vision Quest assists people in finding psychological and spiritual insights. These insights allow people to grow and transition into individuals they may not have been prior to the experience. This report explores the theory of the Vision Quest as a rite of passage, a summary of the Vision Quest in traditional Lakota religion, a modern interpretation of a Vision Quest focusing on discovering a sign, and a personal analysis of the Vision Quest that was experienced in terms of Van Gennep’s Theory of the rites of passage.

Arnold Van Gennep’s Theory of the Rites of Passage illustrates the journey an individual experiences in order to grow psychologically and spiritually. He believes that an individual must experience three different phases of a rite of passage. The first phase involves the separation of an individual from his or her everyday life or routine. For example, Van Gennep epitomizes the importance of the first phase of separation by giving the example of marriage. In marriage, an individual separates from his or her family and journeys to create another. Although all rites of passage are important in achieving a successful growing experience, Van Gennep emphasizes the crucial importance of the transitional, threshold phase where there is an, “ambiguous time and space betwixt and between fixed positions…” (Hockey, “The importance of being intuitive: Arnold Van Gennep’s The Rites of Passage”, Mortality, 212). The second phase, which Van Gennep calls the liminal phase, is the crucial piece of the puzzle in order to construct a new picture of an individual’s life. It involves the time in between separating from a routine lifestyle to the beginning of a new social period. The third phase of the rites of passage is the, “re-entry into a new social position or period” (Hockey, 212). The individual has completed the process of the rites of passage and is now theoretically reunited with his or her regular lifestyle. The individual should now have an altered perspective on the issue that was initially at hand; whether the person knew the issue at the beginning of the process or not.

Obedience and humility are determining factors when Lakota members are chosen by the superior beings to have a vision quest (Martinez, 82). Individuals, who tend to be young men, must first contact a wicasa wakan and learn the wakan actions, speech and songs. The young men must have open minds and be willing to accept the outcome of their personal vision quest. The smoking of a kinnikinnick filled pipe is an essential element of the Lakota vision quest ritual and should be the top priority. The individual who is about to experience a hanbleceya must share the pipe with a wicasa wakan to “seal their relationship before Wakan Tanka” (Martinez, 88). An inipi, or sweat lodge, must then be built to purify the individual’s mind and body. While in the inipi, the individual must close the door, pray, pour water, sing, open the door and smoke the Sacred Pipe. He or she must do the pattern of actions four times to be ideally cleansed and then is accompanied to a symbolic centre of the Lakota cosmos. Arnold Van Gennep considers this part of the hanbleceya the separation phase because the individual is doing something that is not part of that individual’s daily routine. The people who accompany the individual to the sacred location must clear the ground in front of the entrance of any vegetation or insects. Five willow plants will be planted at the centre, east, west, north, and south of the sacred location’s entrance with kinnikinnick in the hole of the central pole. Pouches of kinnikinnick and color cloth are attached to each of the four poles representing the four directions (Martinez, 89). The vision seeker now separates from the wicasa wakan while entering the sacred place and holds his or her pipe at all times for mythical protection. Intense meditation by the vision seeker follows and he or she will experience the vision quest for an average of four days. The individual must remain hungry, sleep deprived and in prayer at all times. Prayer begins at the central pole, moves eastward, moves back to the central pole, and then travels to the remaining poles while holding the Sacred Pipe. Messengers can appear in many shapes or forms such as animals. Once the individual receives a vision from a messenger, Arnold Van Gennep would consider that the completion of the transitional phase. According to the Lakota tradition, fear, a positive attitude, and an attentive mind yield the best results for a vision quest. The vision quest for a Lakota individual reinforces, “…the belief that one is ultimately powerless without Wakan Tanka” (Martinez, 93). Wakan Tanka represents the ultimate power that Lakota individuals worship. Once the individual returns from his or her vision quest, they must enter another inipi and disclose his or her vision quest interpretation to a wicasa wakan. In order for an individual to gain credibility after disclosing his or her vision, the individual must prove they are worthy of their vision and participate “in adult roles of the community” (Martinez, 94). Van Gennep would consider the return and disclosing of information the beginning of reaggregation phase. Individuals are deemed the “Chosen One” if they can execute the skills or knowledge they acquired during the vision quest(Martinez, 96). The abilities that the individual receives or recognizes during his or her vision quest benefits both the individual and community. The individual finds his or her purpose in life while the community benefits by adding a resourceful person to their disposal.