Reincarnation cocktail [xpost]

[salvorhardin]

Note: I posted this in GD because I thought it might have general interest but it's probably of most interest to skeptics.

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I just finished reading Mitch Horowitz's book Occult America: The Secret History of How Mysticism Shaped Our Nation. It's not the most exciting of reads, unless you're really into the history of the occult and paranormal but I liked it quite a bit. It was fascinating to see the degree to which American culture both shaped, and was shaped by, occult beliefs. Plus there were a lot of fascinating bits of historical trivia.

For instance, Kenneth Arnold, the private pilot whose 1947 report of nine disc shaped objects flying over Mt. Rainier kicked off the Atomic Age obsession with UFOs, also had a celebrity endorsement gig hawking dandruff shampoo! It was called TURN-ERS , and ads for it ran in pulp magazines with the tagline "Because Ken’s no sissy, and he doesn’t put perfume on his hair."

Another fascinating thing I learned is that while reincarnation wasn't unheard of in the U.S., it wasn't until the mid-1950s with the publication of The Search For Bridey Murphy that it became a national craze. In 1952 Colorado businessman and amateur hypnotist Morey Bernstein hypnotized Pueblo, CO housewife Virginia Tighe who then recounted her previous life as a 19th C. Irishwoman.

Naturally, Bernstein wrote her story up as a book, which was very quickly turned into a movie, and the entire nation just went nuts for reincarnation! Quoting Horowitz:

"Suddenly, reincarnation—an ancient Hindu concept about which Americans had heard little before World War II—was the latest craze. In 1956, Life magazine wrote of past-life costume soirees called Come as You Were parties. A popular joke made the rounds: Did you hear the one about the man who read Bridey Murphy and changed his will? He left everything to himself. Books on occultism, hypnosis, and reincarnation were suddenly mainstream hits. “It’s the hottest thing since Norman Vincent Peale,” reported a Houston bookseller. Melvin Powers, a pioneering New Age publisher in Los Angeles, saw sales on some of his titles multiply twenty-five times."

There were parody songs, Stan Freberg satirized Bridey Murphy, dances, and even a Reincarnation cocktail. Here's the recipe from the March 19, 1956 issue of Life magazine:

"It consists of a jigger of vodka and a 1/2 jigger of maraschino liqueur shaken with lemon juice and crushed ice and topped with cupful of flaming rum."

That article also mentioned an "Ectoplasm Punch" but, alas, no recipe was given. I guess my hopes for hosting an authentic "Come As You Were" party have run aground the shoals of time.

Anyway, I don't know why, but I just find that kind of thing endlessly fascinating. Thought there might be some denizens of DU who might enjoy it too, if only for the cocktail recipe. Based on the photo (below, right), it looks quite elaborate so I don't think I'll be making it soon but it sure sounds tasty though!

[SheilaT]

1. I likewise find all of this stuff

endlessly fascinating.

I recently reread "The Search for Bridey Murphy", and it's clear that Bernstein was not the only person out there at that time doing past life regressions. He just seems to have been the only one who wrote it up at that time.