His father fought against U.S. forces in the 1860’s. Beginning at the age of five, Black Elk began to have visions. As a result, he later became known as a holy man and healer. His visions gave him the insight to foresee certain events and knowledge to discover remedies for illness. Black Elk claimed that specific ceremonies were necessary in order for him to decipher the meaning of his visions and activate their power. He says, “The power in all the ceremony was in understanding what it meant; for nothing can live well except in a manner that is suited to the way the sacred Power of the World lives and moves.” He believed in spiritual power that he called the “outer world”. The power to heal people passes through this medium. The power from the outer world is what allowed him to heal people as a medicine man.
I think that Augustinus’ vision gave him clarity and peace to a question he struggled with. Whereas, the visions of Black Elk were progressive in regards to healing and