Can LSD explain the Salem Witch Trials?
Hallucinogenic hysteria
Crazed, hysterical, and deadly — words often associated with the Salem Witch Trials at the turn of the 17th century.
In this unfortunate event, Puritan colonists in Salem, Massachusetts, were consumed by a “witch hunt” resulting in the deaths of nineteen people.
According to historical records, it all started when two relatives of the town’s reverend suffered paranormal attacks. They convulsed and had mysterious epileptic fits. Shortly after, other girls in the area suffered similar episodes.
Like all bad and unexplained physical phenomenon, people blamed dark magic. And the town resolved to kill the witches causing it.
Magical Witches or Psychedelic Trip?
There are numerous theories explaining the Salem Witch Trials — hysteria, religion, and even politics were considered as root causes.
But in the 1970s, psychologist Linda Caporeal theorized that maybe everything started with bad bread.
Caporeal proposed that a fungus called Claviceps Purpurea might be the scientific explanation behind the hysteria. It is commonly found on Rye grains, and ingesting the fungus can cause a medical condition known as convulsive ergotism.
