Saint Nick the Flying Shaman

Have you ever wondered about the origins of modern Christmas traditions? What is the origin of the Christmas tree, decorations about, and all the brightly wrapped presents beneath? This Christmas, as it's been done for generations, stories of Santa and his reindeer will be told around the world, including tales of how Saint Nick flies around on his sleigh in the middle of the night delivering presents to all the good children while they sleep snug in their beds. Where do these stories come from--and better yet--what are we actually celebrating on Christmas morning? 

Although most people see Christmas as a Christian holiday, many of the symbols and icons we associate with Christmas celebrations are actually derived from the shamanic traditions of nomadic reindeer herders in Siberia and the Arctic Circle. John Rush, Ph.D., author of Mushrooms in Christian Art and professor of anthropology at Sierra College in Rocklin, CA., suggests, "Santa is a modern counterpart of a shaman, who consumed mind-altering plants and fungi to commune with the spirit world." He believes the story of Santa and his flying reindeer can be traced to shamans in the Siberian and Arctic regions, where the practices of the Indigenous shamanism have uncanny resemblances to the traditions of Christmas. In particular, the red and white mushroom, Amanita muscaria, is a significant connection between the two. Indigenous shamans would visit locals on the Winter Solstice, an astronomical phenomenon strongly related to modern-day Christmas, with gifts of dried hallucinogenic mushrooms.
 

According to scholars who study Arctic cultures, Indigenous shamans would pick the Amanita in summer, hanging them to dry on the evergreen trees growing above them. The mushrooms may also be taken inside to dry by the fireplace, leading to comparisons with stockings and a Christmas tree surrounded by red and white parcels. The drying of the mushrooms was one way to remove the toxins found in Amanita muscaria, while increasing the potency of psychedelic compounds. Come late December, on the Winter Solstice, the shaman would gather up the dried Amanitas and make use of the mushroom's psychoactive effects to commune with the spirit world and bring gifts of healing to the families, as they set intentions for the new year. If the hut's doorways were covered in snow, the shaman would enter through an opening in the ceiling.
 

Upon comparison, the similarities in ancient and modern Christmas traditions are undeniable: a Winter Solstice celebration in the snowy North Pole region where reindeer are prominent, consisting of evergreen trees, fireplaces hung with colorful decorations, rooftop chimney entrances and communal gift-giving. Regardless of where the origin of Santa Claus comes from, Christmas is a time of year for rebirth, inward reflection, setting intentions, gifting to loved ones, communing with family...and perhaps, unknowingly, celebrating a psychedelic mushroom.

What Psychedelic Therapy Can Learn From Shamanism

Psychedelic psychotherapy is the process of taking a psychedelic substance within a therapeutic setting, which typically includes psychotherapy. In clinical studies, psilocybin (magic mushrooms) and MDMA are two compounds that are being investigated for their therapeutic use in treating certain mental health conditions, like depression and PTSD, and improve overall mental health. Most of the psychedelic therapy taking place is within clinical research studies in the underground and in places where psychedelics are legal.
 

Psychedelic therapy is widely discussed as an innovative development within psychiatry, yet the ironic truth is that mind-altering substances have been used to promote mental health for thousands of years. And while the ceremonial ingestion of plants like ayahuasca in South America, peyote in North America, and iboga in Africa may seem a far cry from Western psychotherapy, researchers are increasingly looking to indigenous cultures in order to learn how to utilize these potent medicines.
 

Anthropologists who study the ceremonial use of psychedelic plants often write about the skilled manner in which shamans guide their patients into "managed altered states of consciousness." Through the manipulation of sounds, symbols, and other aesthetic elements in a ritual context, these traditional healers are able to steer participants' visions and hallucinations in certain desirable directions. Overall, the ritual context provides a controlled, supportive, and safe environment for participants to engage in reflective emotional work that is often difficult.
 

A recent study of Westerners attending a mental health retreat run by indigenous ayahuasca healers found that 36 percent rated the actions of these shamans as the single most important factor in the improvement of their well-being. The non-indigenous users attributed the benefits of ayahuasca to their immersion in the traditional aspects of the ayahuasca experience, which were often intense or difficult to endure, echoing the ascetic experiences of the traditional users. Research indicates that the beneficial elements of ayahuasca are enhanced when the cultural and spiritual aspects of its use are emphasized. And while shamanic rituals may not be fully appreciated by conventional psychiatrists, it is widely agreed that psychedelic experiences are the product of more than just mere pharmacology.
 

Set and Setting
 

Back in the 1960s, famed psychologist and LSD evangelist Timothy Leary helped to popularize the notion of "set and setting", which holds that the effects of psychedelics are largely determined by the mindset of the user as well as the environment in which they are taken, rather than the properties of the substances themselves. "Set" refers to the expectations and intentions the person brings to the experience, and "setting" is the outward circumstances in which it takes place. Additionally, the expectations and experiences of participants in a traditional ceremonial setting are often influenced by the shamans' shaping of those aspects.
 

For this reason, set and setting has been incorporated into recent psychedelic trials. Typically, this is achieved by manipulating the therapeutic environment with low lighting and carefully selected music playlists. This last element is considered to be of particular importance, as research has revealed that music amplifies the capacity of psychedelics to enhance activity within the parts of the brain that process emotion.
 

A Clash of Worldviews
 

Indigenous people view creation as a living process, resulting in a living universe in which a kinship exists between all things. There is no such thing as an individual in the same way that we take for granted in the west. There is no separateness. We are all one consciousness. It's a different way of looking at things. For those of us who have been raised as staunch materialists, such a concept can be difficult to understand, let alone accept. We are conditioned to see the world as populated by distinct, independent entities that can be methodically isolated from one another, whereas indigenous cultures view the universe as one unified conscious system, in which everything is connected to everything else.
 

In line with this perspective, mental health problems are understood not as the product of faulty brain chemistry or personal psychological quirks, but as a symptom of misalignment with the encompassing whole. Healing, therefore, is typically a collective affair and is achieved by restoring the patient's sense of connectedness to their community and wider environment.
 

While most research into the efficacy of psychedelics to treat mental health disorders continues to focus on individual treatments, a number of studies are beginning to recognize the importance of contextual factors like the shared togetherness of indigenous group rituals. A global study of people who have used psychedelics in group settings found that group bonding during ceremony was significantly correlated with increases in psychological well-being, social connectedness, and other salient mental health outcomes.
 

Conclusion
 

While researchers have demonstrated the benefits of psychedelics as a treatment for mental illness in Western users, the traditional context associated with the use of psychedelic plants is also an essential aspect of the experience. Like indigenous users who emphasize the ascetic aspects of the psychedelic experiences, the immersion in an intense, often challenging ceremony leads to benefits for Western users who understand the necessity of these difficult experiences in reaping benefits. Overall, the traditional ceremony accounts for important aspects of the psychedelic experience such as social and environmental connections. Adapting indigenous approaches to psychedelics may well be the key to psychedelic healing. 

Expanded States of Consciousness World Summit

The Expanded States of Consciousness World Summit is a free 9-day online event featuring 65+ world-class experts, including Deepak Chopra, Luisah Teish, Wim Hof, Rosalind Watts, Andrew Weil, Grandmother Flordemayo, Paul Stamets, Gita Vaid, Ken Wilber, Sandra Ingerman, Dan Siegel, Krishna Das, and many more. This summit is designed to create a profound journey and transformative learning experience for anyone interested in expanded states of consciousness and their potential for our individual and collective healing, spiritual evolution and awakening. This includes practitioners, clinicians, researchers, guides, coaches and other helping professionals, researchers, and the general public.
 

Over nine days, you will have the opportunity to learn learn about the potential of expanded states of consciousness for healing trauma, healing attachment wounds, and deepening resilience. Discover how these practices can help us unlock our full potential, leading to a more fulfilling life with greater meaning and purpose. The summit will cover a wide range of methods, including:

•     Meditation
•     Breathwork
•     Psychedelics
•     Plant medicines
•     Shamanism
•     Music, chanting, and sound healing
•     Tools and practices for integration

 

During the Summit, you'll hear about the cutting-edge research on consciousness and expanded states and be able to explore different practices and techniques for accessing and integrating these states…While connecting with a global community of like-minded individuals exploring the further reaches of consciousness and human potential. Whether you're an experienced practitioner or just curious about the nature of consciousness, this Summit is sure to be an illuminating and transformative experience. Free streaming of the summit starts Tuesday, April 18th at 7:00 am EDT USA, click here to claim your free ticket.

Santa the Flying Shaman

Have you ever wondered about the origins of modern Christmas traditions? What is the origin of the Christmas tree, with the star on top, decorations about, and all the brightly wrapped presents beneath? This Christmas, as it's been done for generations, stories of Santa and his reindeer will be told around the world, including tales of how Mr. Claus flies around on his sleigh in the middle of the night delivering presents to all the good children while they sleep snug in their beds. Where do these stories come from--and better yet--what are we actually celebrating on Christmas morning?
 

Although most people see Christmas as a Christian holiday, many of the symbols and icons we associate with Christmas celebrations are actually derived from the shamanic traditions of the tribal peoples of pre-Christian Northern Europe. The story of Santa and his flying reindeer can be traced to shamans in the Siberian and Arctic regions. 

John Rush, Ph.D., author of Mushrooms in Christian Art and professor of anthropology at Sierra College in Rocklin, CA., suggests, "Santa is a modern counterpart of a shaman, who consumed mind-altering plants and fungi to commune with the spirit world." He believes the Santa myth was born because local shamans in the Siberian and Arctic regions would visit locals on the winter solstice, an astronomical phenomenon strongly related to modern-day Christmas, with gifts of dried hallucinogenic mushrooms.

The Huichol Mask

An excerpt from my soon-to-be released memoir, Riding Spirit Horse: A Journey into Shamanism. Copyright © 2021 by Michael Drake.
 

I made my first pilgrimage to the Maya pyramids and ceremonial centers of Mexico in March of 1995. It was an empowering, transformational journey of self-discovery--the culmination of a lifelong dream to explore the pyramidal temples found at Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Palenque and Tulum. I spent about a week in Playa del Carmen, a coastal resort town along the Yucatan Peninsula’s Riviera Maya strip of Caribbean shoreline. The Riviera Maya is known for its palm-lined beaches and one of the largest coral reefs in the world. The beaches of Playa del Carmen are famous for their white powdery sand and crystal clear turquoise waters.
 

One afternoon, I went shopping for some gifts and souvenirs to take back home with me. While walking along Quinta Avenida (5th Avenue), a pedestrian-only walkway through downtown Playa del Carmen, I discovered a colorfully dressed street vendor selling his beadwork. He was a Huichol indigenous artist from Guadalajara. The Huichol, or peyote people, are known for their yarn paintings and papier-mache masks covered in small, brightly colored beads. Yarn paintings consist of commercial yarn pressed into boards coated with wax and resin and are derived from a ceremonial tablet called a neirika.
 

The beaded art is a relatively new innovation and is crafted using glass, plastic or metal beads pressed onto a wooden or papier-mache form covered in beeswax. Common bead art forms include masks, bowls and figurines. Like all Huichol art, the bead work depicts the prominent patterns and symbols featured in Huichol shamanic traditions. The most common motifs are related to the three most important elements in Huichol religion, the deer, corn and peyote. The first two are important as primary sources of food, and the last is valued for its psychoactive properties. Eating the peyote cactus is at the heart of the tribe's spiritual knowledge and core to their existence, connecting them to their ancestors and guardian spirits through psychedelic visions.  

Huichol masks are akin to mirrors that reflect the patterns of face paintings worn during sacred ceremonies. The Huichol people understand themselves to be mirrors of the gods. The Huichol believe that you must look past the ego reflected in a mirror in order to enter the place they call the "original times," before the present separation occurred between matter and spirit, between life and death, between the natural and the supernatural, and between the sexes. They are a culture based on being at one with the Cosmos. The very purpose of life is to reach a state of unity and continuity between man, nature, society and the supernatural.
 

The shaman-artist had some small beaded masks displayed on his table. I asked him if he had any larger masks. He pulled a bundle out from under the table and unwrapped a beautiful life-size human mask. The intricate design featured a radiant sun on the forehead, a stalk of blue corn on each side of the head, a double-headed peyote eagle on each cheek, a prayer arrow on the ridge of the nose, and a deer on the chin. I asked him how much? He said 300 pesos, or about 50 dollars. We settled on the price, but the artisan needed to finish the beadwork. He asked if I could come back later in the day. I agreed to return later that evening to buy the mask and continued shopping other vendors.
 

With great anticipation, I returned in the evening to purchase the finished mask. As I carried the mask back to my hotel, it felt warmer and warmer until it was hot in my hands. When I got back to my room, I noticed a tepo or sacred drum (which is the voice of the gods for the Huichol) in the mouth of the mask. The symbolism was a metaphor for a "talking drum," the name I chose for my entrepreneurial publishing company. This meaningful synchronicity convinced me that the mask was meant for me. I later discovered that wearing the mask during meditation induces a blissful state of unity consciousness with the deities that the mask both represents and embodies. It’s a way of communing with the essence of these deities, channeling them to deepen shamanic trance, to honor them and more. To learn more, read my blog post, The Power of Masks.

Weaving Music into Art

The Shipibo are a tribe from the Amazonian rainforest in Peru credited with holding the traditions of the powerful entheogenic brew ayahuasca ("vine of souls"). This ancient tribe is known both for their beautiful geometric textiles and for their long history of using ayahuasca as an entheogen. This plant sacrament induces visual and auditory stimulation for the purpose of self-revelation and healing. In the Shipibo culture, shamans -- called curanderos -- work as plant-based healers of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual disorders. Their knowledge and healing power are said to come from the plants themselves.  

Shipibo shamans have a custom in which a they live for months in isolation and ingest different plants in order to connect with the spirits of the plants. According to Shipibo shamanism, each plant has a different personality, just like people. Once a plant is ingested, the shaman may be inspired to write a song. These songs, known as icaros, are then used in healing ceremonies, and eventually translated into geometric patterns in order to adorn tapestries with their messages. Each song and corresponding pattern embody the energy of a specific Amazonian plant. The colorful designs are a woven visualization of each plant's song, almost serving as a musical score.

Shipibo textiles reflect the tribe's culture and cosmology. Largely geometric in nature, the designs feature the square, the rhombus, the octagon and the cross, which represents the southern Cross constellation. Other symbols featured in the designs are the Cosmic Serpent, the Anaconda and various plant forms, notably the caapi vine used in the preparation of the ayahuasca brew. Shipibo patterns are believed to heal physical, mental, emotional and spiritual ailments, with each design carrying its own meaning. Some are said to bring wisdom or protection; others attract abundance. The textiles are worn as skirts, placed on tables or beds, hung on walls or used in ceremony.
 

There is an fascinating connection between the visual and aural in Shipibo art: the Shipibo can paint the pattern by listening to an icaro, or they can inversely hear the song by simply viewing the design. Shipibo shamans, under the influence of the psychedelic affects of ayahuasca, undergo a sort of biological feedback mechanism which affects the visual cortex, allowing the music to be seen, and then translated into artwork. Known as synesthesia, this is a perceptual phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway, in this case seeing by hearing, or hearing by seeing.
 

After discovering cymatics, the scientific study of geometric patterns created by sound vibrations, Irish artist Tanya Harris traveled to Peru in 2014 to explore the "visual music" of Shipibo art. Harris discovered cymatics while studying for an MA in Textile Futures at Central Saint Martins in London. Harris spent a month with the Shipibo and participated in ayahuasca ceremonies. During one of her last ceremonies, she received insight from ayahuasca that she should ask a shaman if she could record her singing a particular song and also get from her the geometric tapestry translation of the song. 

 

So, using a handy video recorder, Harris carefully recorded the shaman's icaro about a plant called marosa. Harris found striking visual similarities between the shapes created by her cymatic patterns and the designs created by the Shipibo as illustrations of their songs. For Harris, it was simply confirmation that "sound is a primordial, creative force." Her experiences with the Shipibo are described in this short video, Consciousness Resides in Geometry.

Oregon's Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy Initiative

Activists in Oregon are pushing for decriminalizing psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic compound produced by more than 200 species of mushrooms. Oregon is considering a measure in 2020 to allow access to "guided psilocybin services," while lowering penalties for possession. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that psilocybin-assisted therapy is a safe and uniquely effective treatment for depression and anxiety, PTSD, and addiction to drugs, alcohol, and nicotine. Additionally, the measure would create access to services for those interested in personal development and open doors for new research. Investigating alternative treatments for mental illnesses is vital, as currently, many people are suffering and they have no hope of relief using available drugs and therapies.

According to PSI Chief Petitioners Tom and Sheri Eckert, "The intent of the 2020 Psilocybin Service Initiative of Oregon is to advance a breakthrough therapeutic model currently being perfected in research settings at top universities around the world. The service model involves a sequence of facilitated sessions, including assessment and preparation, psilocybin administration, and integration afterwards. We envision a community-based framework, where licensed providers, along with licensed producers of psilocybin mushrooms, blaze trails in Oregon in accordance with evolving practice standards."

At a meeting hosted by the Oregon Psilocybin Society ("OPS"), Tom Eckert (co-founder of the OPS) explained that the measure is focused on bringing psilocybin services to Oregon. The proposed psilocybin services would require a participant to engage in three therapeutic phases: Screening; Guided Mushroom Consumption; and Integration. Eckert emphasized that a person could benefit from psilocybin therapy "immediately" and completely upon consuming mushrooms, which Eckert described as a "one shot deal." Eckert contrasted the proposed one-time psilocybin therapy with conventional pharmaceutical approaches, which often require a patient to adopt a long term pill popping routine. To learn more, visit the Oregon Psilocybin Society's "Psilocybin Services Initiative" website by clicking this link.

Psychedelic Experiences versus Mystical Experiences

We are witnessing a renaissance of the idea of using psychedelics in connection with spiritual practice. The main theory put forward by psychedelic users in relation to spiritual practice is that those who take psychedelics are able to skip all preliminary work with spiritual practice. Are psychedelics a fast track to enlightenment? If so, why have we never heard of one single human being who has attained enlightenment through the use of psychedelic drugs? Why is that all wisdom traditions, which incorporate spiritual practices that lead to enlightenment, without exception warn against the use of drugs in combination with spiritual practice? What is the difference between genuine mystical experiences and psychedelic experiences? Read more.

Santa the Shaman

Although most people see Christmas as a Christian holiday, many of the symbols and icons we associate with Christmas celebrations are actually derived from the shamanic traditions of the tribal peoples of pre-Christian Northern Europe. The story of Santa and his flying reindeer can be traced to shamans in the Siberian and Arctic regions. John Rush, Ph.D., author of Mushrooms in Christian Art and professor of anthropology at Sierra College in Rocklin, CA., suggests, "Santa is a modern counterpart of a shaman, who consumed mind-altering plants and fungi to commune with the spirit world." He believes the Santa myth was born because local shamans in the Siberian and Arctic regions would visit locals on the winter solstice, an astronomical phenomenon strongly related to modern-day Christmas, with gifts of dried hallucinogenic mushrooms. Here are eight ways that hallucinogenic mushrooms explain the story of Santa and his reindeer.

Battling for the Earth: the Huicholes

In the fight for the land against mining multinationals, the Huicholes represent us all. They are the last Peyote Guardians.

In his two-hour indie documentary, Huicholes: The Last Peyote Guardians, Hernán Vilchez captures one of the last Mesoamerican civilizations to preserve their distinctive way of life in an ever-globalizing world – still able, until now. The Huicholes tribe has been a largely resilient culture that lives in parallel to contemporary Mexico. Carbon dating proves their people’s existence long before Christ and their beliefs predate those of mainstream religions, practicing an early form of animistic and pantheistic mysticism.

Every year they perform an 800-kilometre pilgrimage to the top of the Cerro Quemado, a sacred mountain in the fertile semi-desert area of Catorce, where the hallucinogenic Peyote cactus grows. Eating the fleshy gourd is at the heart of the tribe’s spiritual knowledge and core to their existence, connecting them to their ancestors and guardian spirits through psychedelic visions.

The earth where the cacti cultivate has evaded drought – which is widespread in surrounding regions – but is now falling foul to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). N.A.F.T.A. grants mining concessions to Canadian multinationals out to quarry natural riches in the Huicholes’ holy land. Read more.

Huichol Shaman photo by Kila: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Huichol_shaman.jpg

Shamanism and Entheogens

While the use of mind-altering drugs is prohibited in many religions, other traditions around the world have long celebrated their spiritual and medicinal benefits. Entheogens used in a religious or spiritual context, include psychedelics such as peyote, psilocybin mushrooms, and ayahuasca, and the substances often supplement practices geared toward achieving transcendence. Further, many believe entheogens foster communication with the spirit world and help heal addiction, trauma, and depression. A growing interest in entheogens is evident in several books coming from religion and spirituality publishers in the coming year. Shamanic teachers Hank Wesselman and José Luis Stevens are among the authors coming out with new books. Check out a few titles that explore the intersection of drugs and spiritual development here.

Seeing With the Eyes Shut: Ayahuasca Visions

The hallucinogenic brew Ayahuasca has been used for centuries by South American rain forest shamans as a religious sacrament. The "spirit vine" facilitates mystical visions and revelations, and is believed to have healing properties. Though there have been very few studies of its effects on brain function, a Brazilian research team reports one of the very first functional neuroimaging studies of the drug's effects. Results indicate that Ayahuasca visions stem from the activation of an extensive network involving vision, memory, and intention. In the primary visual area, the effect is comparable in magnitude to the activation levels of natural images with the eyes open. By boosting the intensity of an inner image to the same level of a natural image, Ayahuasca imparts a valid sense of reality to inner experiences. Read More