X-mas: "Heroic Dose" of Magic Mushrooms

Soon I'll experience states of samadhi without entheogenic/psychedelic 'shrooms.

Santa is a psychedelic mushroom-eating shaman

(The Atlantic) Many historians think that the North American figure of "Santa Claus" can be traced back to a monk named Saint Nicholas of Myra, a bearded 4th-century Greek Christian with a penchant for charitable giving.

Yeah, that's it, the rainbow body of meditation.

This St. Nicholas guy was presumably the basis for the Dutch Sinterklaas, patron saint of children, who donned a big, red cape and rode around on a white horse to visit children on the name day of Saint Nicholas, the sixth of December.

According to folklore, Sinterklaas carried a red book in which he recorded a child’s behavior over the past year as having been good or naughty. Sinterklaas is said to have been slowly transformed into modern-day Santa by 1700s Dutch immigrants in the New World.

“But maybe there’s another story worth telling this season — one about a psychedelic mushroom-eating shaman from the Arctic.”

That’s Matthew Salton, whose animated short film, Santa is a Psychedelic Mushroom, presents a different origin story entirely.

It’s a compelling narrative, backed by Harvard professors, anthropologists, and esteemed mycologists (studiers of mushrooms) alike, and it bears an uncanny resemblance to the modern tradition of Santa Claus.

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"Santa is a Psychedelic Mushroom" was directed by Matthew Salton (matthewsalton.com) and produced by NYT Op-Docs. It is part of The Atlantic Selects, an online showcase of short documentaries from independent creators, curated by The Atlantic. Subscribe on YouTube: AtlanticYT