Topic: Cotton Mather

John Winthrop the Younger used his political influence to protect the Pequot tribe from the Mohegans and their Puritan supporters. He fought to restore the tribe's land and original names after they were subjected to atrocities. Upon his death, even the staunch Puritan Cotton Mather eulogized him as "Hermes Christianus," suggesting a complex relationship between early American Christianity and hermetic traditions that is often overlooked in modern history.

Levenda explores the "rejected knowledge" of alchemy and ceremonial magic practiced by early American figures like Cotton Mather and the Governor of Connecticut. He traces the lineage of these esoteric practices from the 17th century through the founding of Mormonism by Joseph Smith to L. Ron Hubbard and Jack Parsons in the 20th century. The segment argues that the American religious experience is deeply rooted in consciousness-altering rituals and occult philosophy.

A re-examination of the 1692 Salem Witch Trials reveals that some of the accused were likely practicing occultists rather than victims of mere hysteria. Levenda focuses on Tituba, an Arawak Indian slave, whose testimony introduced the "Man in Black" motif nearly 300 years before it became a staple of UFO lore. He suggests Tituba's magical practices represented a Caribbean stream of occultism that collided with European ceremonial magic in Massachusetts.