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Quote by: grandpa  I don't remember the specific details, but I've heard some witch trials may have been guided by hallucinogenic properties in certain wheat supplies. Anyone else hear of this?
Grandpa h. |
It is contaminated rye, not wheat.
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There are several psychological factors that could have contributed to the general mass hysteria of the Salem Witch Hunts. One interesting factor could have been the use of ergot which is a substance in rye. The Puritans made bread with rye, and ergot may have been the culprit in causing lots of the strange behavior exhibited by the witnesses and the accusers. Ergot is a unique substance in that it can cause one to experience symptoms that are similar to the symptoms one experiences while on LSD. Therefore, it could be possible that ergot was one of the influencing factors in causing the Salem Witch Hunts (Gormley,22). As we all know, the use of LSD influences the brain, so, it is not too far a stretch that ergot would do the same.
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Wikipedia
This relates to the question about life, because there is a question about how we determine what is real. Hallucinatic mushrooms, wine and other substances have been used by people, to know truth beyond the truth we experience without chemicals messing up our brains. We might want to pay attention to how information is known.