Imagine yourself walking under cobalt skies through the high desert of the Aravaipa Valley.

Now imagine that your peaceful nature walk is also a personal quest for spiritual purification.

At the Peyote Way church in Willcox, Ariz., hikers journey through the Arizona outback on an eight- to 12-hour "spirit walk" aimed at reaching what members of the church describe as "an awareness of the presence of the Holy Light within."

But there's a slight catch.

In order to fully appreciate a personal introspection and connection with nature, travelers on the spirit walk must fast for 24 hours prior to their journey and participate in Lophophora williamsii, or taking a sacrament of peyote tea, a small green button in the cactus family that produces hallucinogenic effects.

In use by the American Indians for more than 6,000 years, peyote is indigenous to a small area of desert in south Texas that borders Mexico.

Possession of the plant has been restricted by federal law since 1966. Currently, it may only be used for religious purposes by members of the Native American Church who can prove at least 25 percent American Indian ancestry.

In response to an increasing government pressure and crackdowns on peyote use, the Peyote Way church was created by reverends Immanuel Trujillo, Anne Zapf and Rabbi Matthew Kent.

Members of the Peyote Way church believe that the consumption of sacramental peyote along with a holistic lifestyle "can lead an individual toward a more spiritual life."

A member of the church also wrote; "Through the Holy Sacrament Peyote, the communicant experiences a loss of selfishness and becomes aware of the god within. This heightened awareness gives the communicant a new perspective of the world and their part in it."

Visitors to Peyote Way must first get permission from one of the church stewards in order to take a spirit walk. The experience is usually performed alone, but couples may also partake in the ceremony, provided they resolve to remain in silence for the duration of the ceremony.

Since the spirit walk is a day- or nightlong event, the church stewards advise prospective communicants to be prepared to camp out in the wilderness of Peyote Way's 160-acre wilderness sanctuary.

To achieve the full introspective experience of religious peyote use, the church stewards recommend that visitors bring with them enough water for the eight- to 12-hour experience, spiritual reading material, a pad and pen, a sleeping bag, hat, flashlight and a lighter or matches.

The Peyote Way church requires a $200 donation to use their land for a spirit walk.

You can get more information on the Peyote Way church and its mission statement, newsletter and histories online at www.Peyoteway.org.