psychedelic fungi in Burned-over District, early 1800s?

[Archimedes]

I am just looking into new research on the use of psychedelics to treat mental health disorders like end-of-life anxiety, depression/anxiety and others.

​From my own (not so recent) experiences with LSD and mushrooms, I do recall that they open one's mind to new realities; and can in some cases feel like profound truths have been revealed. Some people experience full blown hallucinations, but usually the experiences are grounded in the subconscious of the tripper, i.e. if you're thinking about churches and the bible and what to do with a bombardment of religious fervor, then maybe your trip will have aspects of that. Or maybe not.

Anyway, I'm sure this is not a new thought, hoping someone out there may know. Is it possible the religious fervor in Joseph Smith's area was brought on or helped along by naturally occurring hallucinogens like psilocybin mushrooms or other? We know he spent a lot of time digging for treasure, etc., and wasn't his mom into folk medicine?

[wtfluff]

There have been a few episodes related to this subject on the Naked Mormonism podcast.

Quite a few related links to follow also.

It does make a lot of sense, though I'm not so sure there is any real, solid evidence... (Yet. )

[Red Ryder]

Here is a good starting point.

http://www.mormonthink.com/files/restor ... shroom.pdf

And a link to the sunstone podcast.

https://www.sunstonemagazine.com/the-re ... periences/

[Culper Jr.]

I remember a podcast out there, I think it was Naked Mormonism, that explores this. I don’t have the link in front of me but it should come up easy enough in a search. I think Infants on Thrones had the guy from that podcast (Bryce Blankensomething??!) on to talk about it at one point. I’ll add a link if I can find it when I get home.

I’ve read from multiple sources they used to hit the sacramental wine pretty hard during the time they were speaking in tongues and seeing visions. Maybe if Rusty were to loosen up on the word of wisdom we could get some really cool revelations going again.

[Archimedes]

Thanks for the links, I thought this was a topic that had been explored by others.

Interesting to speculate, but as WTFluff points out we will never know for sure.

[Hagoth]

The two major events that caused bizarre behavior and visions among attending members both involved a mixed-wine sacrament prepared secretly by Joseph Smith. No one seems to know what was mixed into it but observers claimed that only those who partook saw visions and acted out in extreme and bizarre ways. Many of these things are not published in faithful accounts, like the people at the Kirtland Temple dedication who saw a flying steamboat.

The more I study the origins of religion the more I become convinced that psychadelic/entheogenic substances were of extreme significance in the development of many if not all ancient faith traditions. Mushrooms even figure significantly in some early Christian art. The earliest scripture, the Rig Veda, describes the preparation and consumption of a plant-based substance that will make you a god. The drinking of this actual substance (called Soma) was a part of Vedic ritual practice for spiritual enlightenment.

If you want to read a really fascinating book that talks about the therapeutic and spiritual properties of these substances I highly, highly, highly recommend Michael Pollan's How To Change Your Mind. Did you know, for instance, that the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous gained his conviction of a Higher Power from an experience with a psychedelic drug that also cured his alcoholism, and that his original plan for AA was to administer LSD to all participants because it has been clinically proven to be the only reliable treatment for addiction (often from a single dose)? In another study over 90 percent of smokers quit permanently after a single dose. The reason these people gave is that they saw their lives from an entirely new perspective (often one with spiritual content) that showed them how pointless and unnecessary their addiction was, so they just walked away.

When I first read suggestions that Joseph Smith used psychedelics I was highly skeptical. Now I am somewhat less skeptical. One thing is for certain, he used fasting followed by alcohol to prime people's minds for his stage shows. The big question is what substance contributed to the "mixed" description of his wine.

[Rob4Hope]

I posted on this topic in the past. I personally believe there probably was some of this going on--DMT is the substance I believe.

Anyway...the idea gets poo-pooed often, many saying "No evidence"....etc. I was surprised that Michael Quinn didn't even touch the topic (if I recall correctly) when he wrote his Magic book.

I know from my own study and frightening experience that drug use is an integral part of Occult practice, and the Smith family was so involved, I can't believe they didn't dabble. IN fact, I wonder if Luman Walter's himself was a potion maker.

There was a very interesting presentation in one of the SunStone conferences on this topic.

[Archimedes]

If you want to read a really fascinating book that talks about the therapeutic and spiritual properties of these substances I highly, highly, highly recommend Michael Pollan's How To Change Your Mind.

Hagoth,

I'm reading that book right now! It's what got me thinking about psychedelics in Old Joe's neighborhood!