@ryanhurd make sure to tell us...

@ryanhurd make sure to tell us how it goes! :)

Auto Draft

Cool Movie and Bad Teacher

Well I spent a few dollars and ended up watching this pretty interesting documentary about a guy named Jonas Elrod who an see spirits, energy, and a few other things. What makes this interesting is that he didn't practice meditation or have any history of drug use, and has nothing wrong with is brain as far as science can tell.  It was a pretty inspirational video because its about him trying to find answers. He does some pretty nutty things on his journey and also meets some pretty amazing people, but in the end finds what he is looking for. I highly recommend his movie located here.

Now about a bad teacher. So I have been taking college classes and normally don't rant on this site but it just sickens me what is going on at my college. I have a physics teacher who is Russian and is maybe the worst teacher that I have ever met. Shes not rude, dumb, or unable to teach, she just cant explain anything to anyone and expects too much from her impossibly uneducated students who cant learn due to her being so horrible. So I go to the physics department and meet with the chairman of the department. He explains to me that shes the only teacher they have and that I should maybe take a semester off in order to get a different teacher during the summer semesters. This idea wouldn't be completely bazaar besides the fact that I personally don't have any more time, and the other fact (putting my own personal wants and needs aside) this college is supposedly one of the best engineering schools in the state. Now whats still wrong with this? Everyone who wants to be an engineer is required to take this physics class. I care less about doing well in the class because I am not going in that direction for my degree, but for reasons I don't want to get into, still have to take the class and pass. I honestly cant believe that a college of this status only has one physics teacher for a class that is required such as this, and we are advised to learn on our own because the chairman understands the teacher is horrible... More than half the kids in my class were asleep today and as I was fighting off my normal head nods, I looked around and just laughed to myself.

Well in my end of rant, the myzeo work is still going great. I should be done in 4 days! I am excited because 5-htp is just bothersome trying to take it with no real results. I know I keep badmouthing the supplement but after the initial "belief the supplement is working" and reality coming into check, nothing is really happening. I would like to move onto stuff that people report having major effects on dreams and sleep. I also want to start some tests on Niacin (flush based) and see how it works and then move on to the non flush stuff. It would be exciting to see the differences between the two if there is any. I have heard both ways and am not sure what is correct. I also meet with another professor next week to look at the data and give me some direction, as in making sure the data is worth something statistically. It looks like it is but that doesn't mean its the best it can be.

Until next week and my myzeo test one is done, have fun dreaming!

5-HTP Study

I am still working away every night on the 5-HTP study. I have about 6 more nights before I am satisfied with the results and can move on to other interesting supplements. Even though I don't want to show the results just yet, I can honestly say that 5-HTP shows little to no effect on sleep, even when its most active in the system. Everyone may be different and that's why we also have two other individuals doing the study. Once their information is collected and all the data analyzed we will most likely release the information.

I am also going to change my study page because its not really showing much with all the information I have posted on there. You can see my nightly sleep record and it shows I am a crappy person as I am unable to good nights rest, pretty much due to my current situation (college and all) but that's about it. I'll change it up later so that the information that we get from the studies can be viewed there.

Man sorry about that spelling before.  I need more sleep :-(

Evolver Intensives

R and I have recently signed up for the Evolver intensive workshop online and it starts today. We are very excited about it and hope to share some information to all of you about the topics discussed.  Here is what the first sessions about:

AWAKENING THE COSMIC SERPENT: SHAMANISM AND PLANT TEACHERS IN THIS TRANSFORMATIVE TIME

Host: Jeremy Narby

Indigenous wisdom about plant medicine can open the path to deep personal healing and a profound understanding of the universe, and for many people this ancient knowledge is transforming modern life.

6 calls, starts January 23

Throughout the Western World, people increasingly participate in indigenous shamanic ceremonies using psychedelic plants to open a path to deep personal insights and high spiritual truths. These plants -- including mushrooms, peyote, ayahuasca, and salvia divinorum -- are revered by ancient tribal societies as potent teachers capable of healing the body, expanding the mind, and strengthening community.

• What can modern people can learn from indigenous cultures about the use of psychoactive plants and the modification of consciousness?


• What can be learned directly from these plants -- which can be powerful and tricky teachers -- and how can we incorporate these lessons into our daily lives?


• In what ways do indigenous people benefit from the Western interest in shamanism, and what new cultural bridges are being built through the spread of indigenous spiritual practices?

The renowned anthropologist Jeremy Narby has explored these questions for over two decades. In his much-admired books, including The Cosmic Serpant and Shamans Through Time, Jeremy has shared his wisdom and insights. For the first time, in this special video teleseminar series, he will pursue these questions through two exclusive online lectures, and one-on-one discussions with four of the world's leading experts on the shamanic use of mind-altering plants: Stanislav Grof, Wade Davis, Kat Harrison and Luis Eduardo Luna.

New Podcast

I recently stumbled upon a cool podcast that is called I Am Ubermensch. I have heard quite a few podcast in my time and though they only have two podcast so far, it seems like a promising show. I think everyone should check it out when they get a chance.

Here is a little about them:

Ubermensch is primarily a podcast created by a group of individuals where the focus of the show is the interviewees and not the interviewer. Personal information, personal advertisement, or egocentric intervention is minimized on the show so to spend more time on the important subjects. Each interviewer brings their own special understanding and ability to the interviews they conduct. Ubermensch is essentially a collective of all who contribute to the show.

check out their site at www.iamubermensch.com

Crazy Dreams

I have been trying to get back into the swing of school and such and have started to get back into the flow of things. It normally takes a few days to do that. Over all I should be able to start back up my myzeo studies tonight.

I have been trying a new diet to lose some weight before the end of school. I have been reading about cutting most sugars out of your system by consuming as little carbohydrates as possible and as well refined sugars. You replace the sugars with oils (such as fish) and fats from meats. I know many of you may be vegetarian and not agree with killing pigs and cows, but its what our ancestors ate and I figured I would try it out.  So far I feel great and its been a bit over a week now and though I have some cravings for sugars and breads, I still haven't had too many problems.

One thing that I have noticed however is how much my dreams have changed. They have become a lot more crazy in the sense of complexity and of very smart like dream characters. I dreamed last night of a strange complex linking between events and people, where if you become involved by accident, then strange events would start to occur to you. It was almost like bad luck, but very intentional much like shaman practice believes.  Over all the dream is not really that important in my opinion but the reason for the dream is. I believe its because my brain isn't constantly "high" on sugar and is able to maybe think a little bit more clearly.

Anyways as I continue the diet I will have to see where the dreams take me and if any incite is found in them over time.

Neuroscience of Lucid Dreaming

Ryan Hurd over at dreamstudies.org has posted another great update about the current research being done on lucid dreaming along with a look into the neuroscience involved. Here is some of what he has to say:

Lucid dreaming research is growing up. At least, that is Allan Hobson’s take on the recent burst of scientific studies published on conscious dreaming. Once a myth of Carlos Castaneda, and then a topic guaranteed to instantly transport researchers to the margins of academia, lucid dreaming has become a hot topic for neuroscience and cognitive psychology because it promises to isolate one of the hardest-to-pin-down objects of all time: consciousness itself.

You can read more here

Holidays

I wanted to wish everyone a late happy holidays and since the holidays are almost over. Also I have been very busy with family and haven't really had any time to post anything. I have reading a great book over the last week for relaxing and finished "Singing to the plants" last week.  I also received another myzeo data file and posted it on the site. I will be continuing my myzeo data gathering when I get back net week as well as working on some other projects.

Myzeo vs Emotive

After spending a few months with the Myzeo I thought it was about time to try out the Emotive that I received in the mail a few weeks ago. I must say that after trying the hardware out that I am very glad that I decided to get the Myzeo for the sleep studies.

The emotive is a great addition to the wireless and mobile EEG community. I would say that the EEG community is very small and is a hard group to compete with. Its costly to research the systems needed to operate the hardware, and its also hard to make it wearable by someone who would like to use these portable EEG systems while asleep or doing activities.

Emotive Positives

Emotive has its ability to read 14 sensors located at different areas of the wearers head. The system  looks stylish so that you could wear it while doing activities outside and someone may laugh but then again wonder what in the world you are wearing such a cool looking device. The software for the system links up well with the hardware and gives the user an almost instantaneous readout of what the sensors are telling the system. You can easily see eye movement recorded by the brainwaves required to move the eyes as well as other readings that are produced from many different activities. The system also has an aim for gaming and comes with software to make it so you can play games with key emotions.

Emotive Negatives

Emotive is hard to use. The sensors fall out and you have to reapply them and pretty much start from scratch, removing the whole hardware from your head unless you have someone to help you. If you moved around to much there is a good chance the sensors will fall out and be lost for ever.  Its also hard to get the sensors to read 100% in every sensor and takes about 10 min to place correctly. If this was used for a sleep study it would possibly not work because any movement causes havoc on the readouts and can cause sensors to moved off of their target location.

In conclusion the Emotive fails for what I needed to do with it and again I am so glad that I purchased the Myzeo. The Myzeo is a much better option in recording sleep and possibly with future software developmental, a better lucid dreaming aid.

I wanted to re-post this article as it has some really great information but the site contains some  advertisements that may be overwhelming to some people. If anyone has an issue with this please feel free to contact me at any time.

By Dana Larsen - Thursday, December 18 2003

Modern Christmas traditions are based on ancient mushroom-using shamans.

Although most people see Christmas as a Christian holiday, most of the symbols and icons we associate with Christmas celebrations are actually derived from the shamanistic traditions of the tribal peoples of pre-Christian Northern Europe.

The sacred mushroom of these people was the red and white amanita muscaria mushroom, also known as "fly agaric." These mushrooms are now commonly seen in books of fairy tales, and are usually associated with magic and fairies. This is because they contain potent hallucinogenic compounds, and were used by ancient peoples for insight and transcendental experiences.

Most of the major elements of the modern Christmas celebration, such as Santa Claus, Christmas trees, magical reindeer and the giving of gifts, are originally based upon the traditions surrounding the harvest and consumption of these most sacred mushrooms.

The world tree

These ancient peoples, including the Lapps of modern-day Finland, and the Koyak tribes of the central Russian steppes, believed in the idea of a World Tree. The World Tree was seen as a kind of cosmic axis, onto which the planes of the universe are fixed. The roots of the World Tree stretch down into the underworld, its trunk is the "middle earth" of everyday existence, and its branches reach upwards into the heavenly realm.

The amanita muscaria mushrooms grow only under certain types of trees, mostly firs and evergreens. The mushroom caps are the fruit of the larger mycelium beneath the soil which exists in a symbiotic relationship with the roots of the tree. To ancient people, these mushrooms were literally "the fruit of the tree."

The North Star was also considered sacred, since all other stars in the sky revolved around its fixed point. They associated this "Pole Star" with the World Tree and the central axis of the universe. The top of the World Tree touched the North Star, and the spirit of the shaman would climb the metaphorical tree, thereby passing into the realm of the gods. This is the true meaning of the star on top of the modern Christmas tree, and also the reason that the super-shaman Santa makes his home at the North Pole.

Ancient peoples were amazed at how these magical mushrooms sprang from the earth without any visible seed. They considered this "virgin birth" to have been the result of the morning dew, which was seen as the semen of the deity. The silver tinsel we drape onto our modern Christmas tree represents this divine fluid.

Reindeer games

The active ingredients of the amanita mushrooms are not metabolized by the body, and so they remain active in the urine. In fact, it is safer to drink the urine of one who has consumed the mushrooms than to eat the mushrooms directly, as many of the toxic compounds are processed and eliminated on the first pass through the body.

It was common practice among ancient people to recycle the potent effects of the mushroom by drinking each other's urine. The amanita's ingredients can remain potent even after six passes through the human body. Some scholars argue that this is the origin of the phrase "to get pissed," as this urine-drinking activity preceded alcohol by thousands of years.

Reindeer were the sacred animals of these semi-nomadic people, as the reindeer provided food, shelter, clothing and other necessities. Reindeer are also fond of eating the amanita mushrooms; they will seek them out, then prance about while under their influence. Often the urine of tripped-out reindeer would be consumed for its psychedelic effects.

This effect goes the other way too, as reindeer also enjoy the urine of a human, especially one who has consumed the mushrooms. In fact, reindeer will seek out human urine to drink, and some tribesmen carry sealskin containers of their own collected piss, which they use to attract stray reindeer back into the herd.

The effects of the amanita mushroom usually include sensations of size distortion and flying. The feeling of flying could account for the legends of flying reindeer, and legends of shamanic journeys included stories of winged reindeer, transporting their riders up to the highest branches of the World Tree.

Santa Claus, super shaman

Although the modern image of Santa Claus was created at least in part by the advertising department of Coca-Cola, in truth his appearance, clothing, mannerisms and companions all mark him as the reincarnation of these ancient mushroom-gathering shamans.

One of the side effects of eating amanita mushrooms is that the skin and facial features take on a flushed, ruddy glow. This is why Santa is always shown with glowing red cheeks and nose. Even Santa's jolly "Ho, ho, ho!" is the euphoric laugh of one who has indulged in the magic fungus.

Santa also dresses like a mushroom gatherer. When it was time to go out and harvest the magical mushrooms, the ancient shamans would dress much like Santa, wearing red and white fur-trimmed coats and long black boots.

These peoples lived in dwellings made of birch and reindeer hide, called "yurts." Somewhat similar to a teepee, the yurt's central smokehole is often also used as an entrance. After gathering the mushrooms from under the sacred trees where they appeared, the shamans would fill their sacks and return home. Climbing down the chimney-entrances, they would share out the mushroom's gifts with those within.

The amanita mushroom needs to be dried before being consumed; the drying process reduces the mushroom's toxicity while increasing its potency. The shaman would guide the group in stringing the mushrooms and hanging them around the hearth-fire to dry. This tradition is echoed in the modern stringing of popcorn and other items.

The psychedelic journeys taken under the influence of the amanita were also symbolized by a stick reaching up through the smokehole in the top of the yurt. The smokehole was the portal where the spirit of the shaman exited the physical plane.

Santa's famous magical journey, where his sleigh takes him around the whole planet in a single night, is developed from the "heavenly chariot," used by the gods from whom Santa and other shamanic figures are descended. The chariot of Odin, Thor and even the Egyptian god Osiris is now known as the Big Dipper, which circles around the North Star in a 24-hour period.

In different versions of the ancient story, the chariot was pulled by reindeer or horses. As the animals grow exhausted, their mingled spit and blood falls to the ground, forming the amanita mushrooms.

St Nicholas and Old Nick

Saint Nicholas is a legendary figure who supposedly lived during the fourth Century. His cult spread quickly and Nicholas became the patron saint of many varied groups, including judges, pawnbrokers, criminals, merchants, sailors, bakers, travelers, the poor, and children.

Most religious historians agree that St Nicholas did not actually exist as a real person, and was instead a Christianized version of earlier Pagan gods. Nicholas' legends were mainly created out of stories about the Teutonic god called Hold Nickar, known as Poseidon to the Greeks. This powerful sea god was known to gallop through the sky during the winter solstice, granting boons to his worshippers below.

When the Catholic Church created the character of St Nicholas, they took his name from "Nickar" and gave him Poseidon's title of "the Sailor." There are thousands of churches named in St Nicholas' honor, most of which were converted from temples to Poseidon and Hold Nickar. (As the ancient pagan deities were demonized by the Christian church, Hold Nickar's name also became associated with Satan, known as "Old Nick!")

Local traditions were incorporated into the new Christian holidays to make them more acceptable to the new converts. To these early Christians, Saint Nicholas became a sort of "super-shaman" who was overlaid upon their own shamanic cultural practices. Many images of Saint Nicholas from these early times show him wearing red and white, or standing in front of a red background with white spots, the design of the amanita mushroom.

St Nicholas also adopted some of the qualities of the legendary "Grandmother Befana" from Italy, who filled children's stockings with gifts. Her shrine at Bari, Italy, became a shrine to St Nicholas.

Modern world, ancient traditions

Some psychologists have discussed the "cognitive dissonance" which occurs when children are encouraged to believe in the literal existence of Santa Claus, only to have their parents' lie revealed when they are older. By so deceiving our children we rob them of a richer heritage, for the actual origin of these ancient rituals is rooted deep in our history and our collective unconscious. By better understanding the truths within these popular celebrations, we can better understand the modern world, and our place in it.

Many people in the modern world have rejected Christmas as being too commercial, claiming that this ritual of giving is actually a celebration of materialism and greed. Yet the true spirit of this winter festival lies not in the exchange of plastic toys, but in celebrating a gift from the earth: the fruiting top of a magical mushroom, and the revelatory experiences it can provide.

Instead of perpetuating outdated and confusing holiday myths, it might be more fulfilling to return to the original source of these seasonal celebrations. How about getting back to basics and enjoying some magical mushrooms with your loved ones this solstice? What better gift can a family share than a little piece of love and enlightenment?

FURTHER LINKS AND REFERENCES:

- The Hidden Meanings of Christmas, Mushroms and Mankind, by James Arthur
- Who put the Fly Agaric into Christmas?, Seventh International Mycological Congress, December 1999, Fungus of the Month
- The Real Story of Santa, The Spore Print, Los Angeles Mycological Society, December 1998
- Santa and those Reindeer: The Hallucinogenic Connection, The Physics of Christmas, by Roger Highfield
- Fungi, Fairy Rings and Father Christmas, North West Fungus Group, 1998 Presidential Address, by Dr Sean Edwards
- Fly Agaric, Tom Volk's Fungus of the Month for December 1999
- Father Christmas Flies on Toadstools, New Scientist, December 1986
- Psycho-mycological studies of amanita: From ancient sacrament to modern phobia, by Jonathan Ott, Journal of Psychedelic Drugs; 1976
- Santa is a Wildman, LA Times, Jeffrey Vallance

BOOKS WORTH READING:

- Mushrooms and Mankind, by James Arthur
- Soma: Divine Mushroom of Immortality, by Gordon Wasson
- Mushrooms, Poisons and Panaceas, by Denis R. Benjamin

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Home Grow Arts & Entertainment Activism Magazine About Cannabis Culture Backissue Archive Library CC Newsletter CC Store CC Online Store Order Backissues Visit our store! Wholesale Community CC Forums CC Facebook CC Twitter CC Myspace CC Staff Affiliates Pot TV BCMP eNDProhibition USMJP NORML Canada MAP inc whyprohibition Advertise Advertise Classified Ads Contact The psychedelic secrets of Santa Claus By Dana Larsen - Thursday, December 18 2003 Tags: CC46 Historical Modern SACRAMENT Modern Christmas traditions are based on ancient mushroom-using shamans. Although most people see Christmas as a Christian holiday, most of the symbols and icons we associate with Christmas celebrations are actually derived from the shamanistic traditions of the tribal peoples of pre-Christian Northern Europe. The sacred mushroom of these people was the red and white amanita muscaria mushroom, also known as "fly agaric." These mushrooms are now commonly seen in books of fairy tales, and are usually associated with magic and fairies. This is because they contain potent hallucinogenic compounds, and were used by ancient peoples for insight and transcendental experiences. Most of the major elements of the modern Christmas celebration, such as Santa Claus, Christmas trees, magical reindeer and the giving of gifts, are originally based upon the traditions surrounding the harvest and consumption of these most sacred mushrooms. The world tree These ancient peoples, including the Lapps of modern-day Finland, and the Koyak tribes of the central Russian steppes, believed in the idea of a World Tree. The World Tree was seen as a kind of cosmic axis, onto which the planes of the universe are fixed. The roots of the World Tree stretch down into the underworld, its trunk is the "middle earth" of everyday existence, and its branches reach upwards into the heavenly realm. The amanita muscaria mushrooms grow only under certain types of trees, mostly firs and evergreens. The mushroom caps are the fruit of the larger mycelium beneath the soil which exists in a symbiotic relationship with the roots of the tree. To ancient people, these mushrooms were literally "the fruit of the tree." The North Star was also considered sacred, since all other stars in the sky revolved around its fixed point. They associated this "Pole Star" with the World Tree and the central axis of the universe. The top of the World Tree touched the North Star, and the spirit of the shaman would climb the metaphorical tree, thereby passing into the realm of the gods. This is the true meaning of the star on top of the modern Christmas tree, and also the reason that the super-shaman Santa makes his home at the North Pole. Ancient peoples were amazed at how these magical mushrooms sprang from the earth without any visible seed. They considered this "virgin birth" to have been the result of the morning dew, which was seen as the semen of the deity. The silver tinsel we drape onto our modern Christmas tree represents this divine fluid. Reindeer games The active ingredients of the amanita mushrooms are not metabolized by the body, and so they remain active in the urine. In fact, it is safer to drink the urine of one who has consumed the mushrooms than to eat the mushrooms directly, as many of the toxic compounds are processed and eliminated on the first pass through the body. It was common practice among ancient people to recycle the potent effects of the mushroom by drinking each other's urine. The amanita's ingredients can remain potent even after six passes through the human body. Some scholars argue that this is the origin of the phrase "to get pissed," as this urine-drinking activity preceded alcohol by thousands of years. Reindeer were the sacred animals of these semi-nomadic people, as the reindeer provided food, shelter, clothing and other necessities. Reindeer are also fond of eating the amanita mushrooms; they will seek them out, then prance about while under their influence. Often the urine of tripped-out reindeer would be consumed for its psychedelic effects. This effect goes the other way too, as reindeer also enjoy the urine of a human, especially one who has consumed the mushrooms. In fact, reindeer will seek out human urine to drink, and some tribesmen carry sealskin containers of their own collected piss, which they use to attract stray reindeer back into the herd. The effects of the amanita mushroom usually include sensations of size distortion and flying. The feeling of flying could account for the legends of flying reindeer, and legends of shamanic journeys included stories of winged reindeer, transporting their riders up to the highest branches of the World Tree. Santa Claus, super shaman Although the modern image of Santa Claus was created at least in part by the advertising department of Coca-Cola, in truth his appearance, clothing, mannerisms and companions all mark him as the reincarnation of these ancient mushroom-gathering shamans. One of the side effects of eating amanita mushrooms is that the skin and facial features take on a flushed, ruddy glow. This is why Santa is always shown with glowing red cheeks and nose. Even Santa's jolly "Ho, ho, ho!" is the euphoric laugh of one who has indulged in the magic fungus. Santa also dresses like a mushroom gatherer. When it was time to go out and harvest the magical mushrooms, the ancient shamans would dress much like Santa, wearing red and white fur-trimmed coats and long black boots. These peoples lived in dwellings made of birch and reindeer hide, called "yurts." Somewhat similar to a teepee, the yurt's central smokehole is often also used as an entrance. After gathering the mushrooms from under the sacred trees where they appeared, the shamans would fill their sacks and return home. Climbing down the chimney-entrances, they would share out the mushroom's gifts with those within. The amanita mushroom needs to be dried before being consumed; the drying process reduces the mushroom's toxicity while increasing its potency. The shaman would guide the group in stringing the mushrooms and hanging them around the hearth-fire to dry. This tradition is echoed in the modern stringing of popcorn and other items. The psychedelic journeys taken under the influence of the amanita were also symbolized by a stick reaching up through the smokehole in the top of the yurt. The smokehole was the portal where the spirit of the shaman exited the physical plane. Santa's famous magical journey, where his sleigh takes him around the whole planet in a single night, is developed from the "heavenly chariot," used by the gods from whom Santa and other shamanic figures are descended. The chariot of Odin, Thor and even the Egyptian god Osiris is now known as the Big Dipper, which circles around the North Star in a 24-hour period. In different versions of the ancient story, the chariot was pulled by reindeer or horses. As the animals grow exhausted, their mingled spit and blood falls to the ground, forming the amanita mushrooms. St Nicholas and Old Nick Saint Nicholas is a legendary figure who supposedly lived during the fourth Century. His cult spread quickly and Nicholas became the patron saint of many varied groups, including judges, pawnbrokers, criminals, merchants, sailors, bakers, travelers, the poor, and children. Most religious historians agree that St Nicholas did not actually exist as a real person, and was instead a Christianized version of earlier Pagan gods. Nicholas' legends were mainly created out of stories about the Teutonic god called Hold Nickar, known as Poseidon to the Greeks. This powerful sea god was known to gallop through the sky during the winter solstice, granting boons to his worshippers below. When the Catholic Church created the character of St Nicholas, they took his name from "Nickar" and gave him Poseidon's title of "the Sailor." There are thousands of churches named in St Nicholas' honor, most of which were converted from temples to Poseidon and Hold Nickar. (As the ancient pagan deities were demonized by the Christian church, Hold Nickar's name also became associated with Satan, known as "Old Nick!") Local traditions were incorporated into the new Christian holidays to make them more acceptable to the new converts. To these early Christians, Saint Nicholas became a sort of "super-shaman" who was overlaid upon their own shamanic cultural practices. Many images of Saint Nicholas from these early times show him wearing red and white, or standing in front of a red background with white spots, the design of the amanita mushroom. St Nicholas also adopted some of the qualities of the legendary "Grandmother Befana" from Italy, who filled children's stockings with gifts. Her shrine at Bari, Italy, became a shrine to St Nicholas. Modern world, ancient traditions Some psychologists have discussed the "cognitive dissonance" which occurs when children are encouraged to believe in the literal existence of Santa Claus, only to have their parents' lie revealed when they are older. By so deceiving our children we rob them of a richer heritage, for the actual origin of these ancient rituals is rooted deep in our history and our collective unconscious. By better understanding the truths within these popular celebrations, we can better understand the modern world, and our place in it. Many people in the modern world have rejected Christmas as being too commercial, claiming that this ritual of giving is actually a celebration of materialism and greed. Yet the true spirit of this winter festival lies not in the exchange of plastic toys, but in celebrating a gift from the earth: the fruiting top of a magical mushroom, and the revelatory experiences it can provide. Instead of perpetuating outdated and confusing holiday myths, it might be more fulfilling to return to the original source of these seasonal celebrations. How about getting back to basics and enjoying some magical mushrooms with your loved ones this solstice? What better gift can a family share than a little piece of love and enlightenment? FURTHER LINKS AND REFERENCES: - The Hidden Meanings of Christmas, Mushroms and Mankind, by James Arthur - Who put the Fly Agaric into Christmas?, Seventh International Mycological Congress, December 1999, Fungus of the Month - The Real Story of Santa, The Spore Print, Los Angeles Mycological Society, December 1998 - Santa and those Reindeer: The Hallucinogenic Connection, The Physics of Christmas, by Roger Highfield - Fungi, Fairy Rings and Father Christmas, North West Fungus Group, 1998 Presidential Address, by Dr Sean Edwards - Fly Agaric, Tom Volk's Fungus of the Month for December 1999 - Father Christmas Flies on Toadstools, New Scientist, December 1986 - Psycho-mycological studies of amanita: From ancient sacrament to modern phobia, by Jonathan Ott, Journal of Psychedelic Drugs; 1976 - Santa is a Wildman, LA Times, Jeffrey Vallance BOOKS WORTH READING: - Mushrooms and Mankind, by James Arthur - Soma: Divine Mushroom of Immortality, by Gordon Wasson - Mushrooms, Poisons and Panaceas, by Denis R. Benjamin Related Native Traditions Entheogenesis conference Soma revealed Media covers Jesus pot connection Legal herb for Rastas? » Email this page

Thursday, 16 December 2010
5:12pm in Vancouver - 8 min till 4:20 in Nome

I used to shoot marijuana. It was really different. It was hard to get it in the syringe.

-- George Clooney, actor

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