I'm working on a story idea which involves the European witch hunts in the middle of the last millennium. I have read that they may have been caused, in part, by mass hallucinations resulting from a fungal infection on the rye crop. Rye ergot is an ingredient in the manufacture of LSD. Is there anyone who can point me to some research (valid or not) which might confirm/deny the mass hallucination angle?
posted by hobocode on Jul 30, 2006 - 28 answers