Ancient Motifs in Psychedelic Experiences

People commonly report a distinct cultural theme to the visual aspect of their psychedelic experience. Based on the patterns and images seen (either with eyes open or closed), people may compare them to the art and style of many ancient cultures: Egyptian, Aztec, Indian, Native American, African and Islamic. Particular ancient cultural motifs may also…

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Louis Wain: The Schizophrenic Artist Obsessed With Cats

Louis Wain (1860 – 1939) was an English artist best known for his drawings of anthropomorphised cats. In his later life, Wain developed schizophrenia, which psychiatrists speculated at the time was brought on by toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection that can be contracted from cats. He was first committed to a mental hospital in 1924. He…

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Is the Santa Claus Myth Based on Magic Mushrooms?

The story of Santa and his flying reindeer, which we have come to associate with Christmas, may actually have its roots in Siberian shamanism and the consumption of the hallucinogenic mushroom, Amanita muscaria (also known as fly agaric). This is the easily recognisable toadstool mushroom, with its white stem and red cap dotted with white…

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Mythical Entities, DMT, and Jungian Psychology

Elves, aliens, imps, pixies, faeries, angels, demons, gods, goddesses, and ‘spirits’. These are all entities that have featured heavily in human culture. The earliest description of elves can be found in Norse mythology, Skaldic poetry, Norse legends and the Poetic Edda, a collection of Old Norse poems. Elves are also common in Germanic and Scandinavian…

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The Peyote-Inspired Art of the Huichol People

Peyote is a cactus which contains mescaline, one of the classic psychedelic chemicals. Native North Americans have been using peyote for religious purposes for around 5,000 years. It is native to southwestern Texas and Mexico. Peyote art, art that is influenced by the visions from the peyote experience, is abundant in the Huichol culture of…

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