While he was eating with a friend he heard a male voice and his thighs began to hurt. Eventually, his legs and arms swelled so much that the tribe members had to put Black Elk in a bed. He then saw the coming of the two spirits. He recognized them as t he same two men he had seen in prior visions. This time, however, they did not just speak to him: They had come to take him to the other world. Black Elk suddenly knew that he was looking back on his own body and that he was going too quickly to comfort his family before he left. Black Elk then recollected being called by the ancestors, and soon he was in the clouds where a bay horse appeared.

This whole vision is about callings and commandments. Black Elk is then told that he is going to see the life history of this one horse, which would become the navigational tool for him throughout the vision.

The vision began with him facing the West, where he saw the grandfather of the West whose color was Black. This is the direction that Native Americans associated with Thunderstorms. The thunderstorm is the perfect dialectic for the Native American warrior. It brings the life enhancing rain but also the destructive thunder and wind. This is similar to the Native American warrior who destroys in an effort to sustain the life and vitality of the tribe.

Everything of the great Earth is within the sacred hoop. When an individual, such as Black Elk, begins his vision facing the west, it is often referred to as a "Thunder Vision." A thunder vision is to prepare a person to be a warrior. Black Elk would eventually was saddened that he did not become the great warrior that he thought he could be. In fact, Black Elk became very disillusioned with war, and especially with the white enemy, which was too overpowering.

The horses that Black Elk saw began, from all directions, to line up in formation. Suddenly, as Black Elk was facing the west, 12 (a sacred number) black stallions appear on the horizon. Black Elk was scared because their manes were lightening and they were snorting thunder.

The horses represented the thunder power of the West. Spirit horses of the North then appeared (visions always move in a clockwise fashion, since the sun moves clockwise when facing the South). The color of these horses was white. The white represents more than just death; it is seen as cleansing. Black Elk then saw white geese, which started in the North, and they proceeded to the South.

The horses of the East are the next that he sees. They are a reddish color, symbolic of the sunrise or rebirth. Then Black Elk turned to the South, which was yellow with the summer sun. When the circle was completed, the bay horse spoke and told Black Elk that his grandfathers were having a conference and the horses would take him there. The horses then lined up, with the black horses leading the way. This is significant since the warriors often led the tribe as they moved. The bay horse neighed in each direction and the whole sky was full of horses neighing. Black Elk then saw a cloud, which became a teepee with a rainbow entrance. This led to his encounter with the six grandfathers. As he entered the teepee, the oldest of the grandfathers (of the West) told him to not fear. Then the grandfather of the West announced that the grandfathers from all over the world were having a conference and that they were there to teach him, as the six powers of the world.

The first grandfather then said that his power would come from the thunder from the West. The vision is, in essence, a thunder vision. He then told Black Elk that they would take him to the center of the Earth to understand the ways of the world. In the original vision, there is not that much emphasis bringing Black Elk there to be taught. Neihardt instead decided to use artistic license to make it easier for the white world to understand the vision.

The purpose of Black Elk's trip to the center of the earth was to attempt to avert the nations from crumbling. The first grandfather them gave Black Elk the cup of water, which is representative of the power to make life. He also gave him a spirit bow, denoting the power to destroy. The first grandfather arose and ran to the West where he transformed into a skinny horse. The next grandfather entered and gave the horse herbs, which made the horse powerful again. This section of the vision is designed to show that Black Elk is not only going to have the powers to be a warrior, but also those of a healer. The second grandfather then spoke and said that Black Elk would be the cleansing wind. This also associated his dream with a power vision. The second grandfather then ran to the North and became a goose. He and others sang sacred songs. These songs are not just incidental. When songs are sung, they are believed to represent actual reality.

The third grandfather was from the East - the place where the sun shines continuously. He stated that the spirits of the people would take Black Elk across the earth. He then pointed out to Black Elk that from the people he would have power. He then held out a peace pipe with an apparently live eagle at the end. As the East is the place of peace and understanding, a signal of the east is thus the pipe and the daybreak star, meaning that those who rise early will be wise.

Finally, Black Elk turned to the South, where the fourth grandfather resided. The fourth grandfather was very important. He did several things; He explained that Black Elk's power would be the powers of all four corners and declared that he would give him the living stick of a nation which would stand in the center of the two sacred roads. He proclaimed that it would be Black Elk's quest to help people walk the good red road. He proceeded to describe the two roads: The red road, the good road, runs from North to South. On it, the fourth grandfather proclaimed, Black Elk's nation would walk; the black road, running from East to West, is a road of troubles and war. The fourth grandfather then claimed that from this road, Black Elk would get the power to wipe out his people's foes. In the original, non-published vision, this is even clearer. The fourth grandfather then ends by telling Black Elk that with this road he will defend his people. The fourth grandfather finally ran to the South and became an elk.

The Fifth grandfather turned into an eagle, to demonstrate that he will go across the world to defend his people. He hence represented the sky as a power. Black Elk then saw the sixth grandfather, who represented the earth. He realized it was actually himself and that he would have that power, and more importantly, he saw that the primary meaning of his vision was not his being called to the spirit world, but instead, obtaining the powers of the earth. Black Elk remarked that the closer he felt to the earth, the more he felt he was returning home.

Thus far, two basic things have occurred in Black Elk's vision: Black Elk has been taken to the spirit world where he sees the spirit horses, and second, he has entered the sacred teepee and communicated with the grandfathers. Black Elk is next asked to walk the black road. The bay horse then turned and faced the East, and a voice spoke, telling him that he has been given the sacred pipe and the power of peace. They then faced the South, and the voice said Black Elk had been given the stick and told hi m to place it in the middle of the road. Black Elk is then told to walk the black road and that all others would fear him, indicating respect more than terror. They then began the slide down this terrible road while the daybreak star was rising very dim.

Black Elk then realized that they were looking down on the earth. All things were afraid, and Black Elk was the chief of all the heavens. Hail fell to the earth as they passed. They then came to three forks of the Missouri river. Flames were rising from the river where a blue man was dying, and then he, eagle wings stretched, attacked the man and killed him, a task his contemporaries could not accomplish. The blue man in this scene is symbolic of the white solider. The world then cheered for Black Elk as he stabbed this being with a sphere, lightening came from his staff, and all that had withered returned to life. He then returned to earth in the form of rain, which would end a long drought. Black Elk heard from his crying people that he should make haste. Black Elk planted the stick in the middle of the village, and it became a cottonwood. The people rejoiced and claimed they would live under its wing. After planting the sacred tree, he saw that he needed to keep the sacred hoop together and walk the sacred red road. Looking back, he sees the spirits of all his people walking behind him. Black Elk was then taken to the center of the earth where he sees the earth as it is. The black stallion then entered into the picture, which Black Elk saw as amazing. He saw that everyone's hoops are important. He was painted red with white joints and had the breath of lightening. Black Elk then returned to earth, and during the trip two things happened: He received the morning star herb which all of the creatures saw the light of, and he received a death herb (omitted from book), which is called the soldier’s weed of destruction. He saw a black flaming man with horns who was the cause of moaning and crying on earth. The man is then turned into a gopher (war symbol) and then an herb. He could use it in war. He saw that there would be a dispute of nations and he would use the herb to defend his nation. However, he never did use the herb because he was too young and he did not want to kill women and children.

He was sad that his father did not know that he had been so far away. But soon, he, too, would understand."