Göbekli Tepe in modern-day Turkey – the world’s oldest expression of religion to date – seems to be aligned to the stars the animals on its pillars reflecting the constellations in the sky. There is also evidence that the mythology of ancient cultures all over the world have linked their myths and beliefs to the constellations. We know that shamans and cultists worldwide have deployed a wide variety of shamanic techniques, with or without the use of psychedelics, to achieve altered states of awareness. The thought occurred to me that ancient shamans would have perhaps aided their stargazing experience with mind-altering herbs or mushrooms, and that this may have helped in the creation of constellations. Wormwood premieres on Friday, December 15 on Netflix.How did the constellations come to be? At what point did ancient peoples decide to connect the dots and draw lines between the stars to form pictures and symbols?
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Next: Godless: Netflix’s Western Series Is a Magnificent Addition to the Genre With the added muscle of Morris and the series' impressive cast behind it, Wormwood appears like a worthy binge-watch before the holidays. All joking aside, this series stands a good chance of succeeding in the tricky business of making dramatic recreations more than just a supplement to the documentary portion of the program. There may be some concern that Wormwood will just turn out to be a more expensive version of Unsolved Mysteries, complete with better production values in lieu of Robert Stack. If anything, the genre blending may attract viewers not typically drawn to documentary filmmaking, while also demonstrating Morris' ability to innovate and alter his approach despite the decades of success he's had. But it's also a fascinating way to change up the formula of the serialized documentary, especially after the success of Making a Murderer in 2015 and this year's pitch-perfect spoof of that and similar projects with Netflix's own American Vandal. The idea alone is enough to pique the interest of any documentary and true-crime fan, especially those who are fond of Morris' past films and his interview style. That miniseries stars Peter Sarsgaard as Olson, but also includes, Tim Blake Nelson ( Minority Report), Molly Parker ( House of Cards), Bob Balaban ( Seinfeld), and Christian Camargo ( The Hurt Locker), presumably as various members of the CIA and MK-Ultra project. While the story of Frank Olson, the investigation into his untimely death, and, certainly, the MK-Ultra program would make for a compelling documentary all on its own, Wormwood aims to bring something extra to the table with a fictionalized recreation of the events, effectively blending two genres into a six-part miniseries. Related: Netflix Investigates the CIA’s Secrets in First Wormwood Trailer But it is also an inquiry into the experiments themselves and potentially the abuse of power within the CIA. The series is an investigation into the circumstances of a death that was ruled a suicide, though, as Olson's son alleges, may have been murder. The series aims to blend Morris' usual interview style of filmmaking, as seen in films like the Academy Award-winning The Fog of War, as well as The Thin Blue Line, Tabloid, and Gates of Heaven, with a stylish recreation of the events that led to Olson's death. This time, the series comes with a significant amount of expectation, as it brings the acclaimed Errol Morris into the Netflix family with a six-part series that blends documentary filmmaking with fictionalized accounts of the CIA's experiments with LSD and mind control in the MK-Ultra program that ultimately led to the death of a man named Frank Olson. Netflix is ramping up its marketing for Wormwood, yet another original series premiering in December.