Velada is the name of the healing vigils carried out by Mazatec '' curanderos'' (such as María Sabina). The rituals involved the use of

psilocybin Psilocybin, also known as 4-phosphoryloxy-''N'',''N''-dimethyltryptamine (4-PO-DMT), is a natural product, naturally occurring tryptamine alkaloid and Investigational New Drug, investigational drug found in more than List of psilocybin mushroom ...

(magic mushrooms) or '' Salvia divinorum'' to commune with God and experience enlightenment.

History

In May 1957, the banker and ethnomycologist R. Gordon Wasson published an article in '' Life magazine'', '' Seeking the Magic Mushroom'', describing his first experience consuming the mushroom and following the Velada of a shaman back in 1955. He claimed to be among the two first modern Western men to follow a traditional Velada ritual on psilocybin. His tale inspired a generation of “mycotourists” seeking to experience the authentic Mazatec Veladas.Paja Faudree
Singing for the Dead: The Politics of Indigenous Revival in Mexico
''Duke University Press'', 29 May 2013Wesley Thoricatha
History of Psychedelics: How the Mazatec Tribe Brought Entheogens to the World
''Psychedelictims.com'', 28 October 2015 Wasson's curandero was

Maria Sabina Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial * 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 * Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...

. She was seen as a traitor by her community and rejected. She had received rock stars such as

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...

Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English musician. He is known as the lead singer and one of the founder members of The Rolling Stones. Jagger has co-written most of the band's songs with lead guitarist Keith Richards; Jagge ...

, and

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

to follow the Mazatec Velada, which had led to an international exposition of the Mazatec's entheogenic secrets.

References

Bibliography

* * * * Shamanism of the Americas Mesoamerican medicine Mazatec {{alt-med-stub

History

See also

References

Bibliography