Item #: SCP-360
Object Class: Euclid
Special Containment Procedures: Foundation agents embedded in airport security and sky marshal agencies worldwide are to monitor air travelers and chartered flights for suspected activity related to SCP-360. Individuals suspected of attempting SCP-360 are to be detained, questioned, and administered a Class A amnestic; all items related to the activation of SCP-360 are to be confiscated for research.
In confirmed cases of SCP-360 activation, Foundation response teams are to enact media suppression and prevent dissemination of knowledge pertaining to the incident. Flight crew and passenger witnesses are to be administered a Class B amnestic and given a cover story.
Description: SCP-360 is an anomalous ritual that ostensibly allows a single living human subject to ascend to a higher plane of existence. When performed at an altitude of 10,500 meters or higher, affected subjects emit a blinding light and a burst of high-energy radiation for several seconds, then disappear. The radiation dosage is negligible and does not pose any long-term danger to affected individuals; however, due to the altitude required for successful activation, SCP-360 has resulted in numerous aviation incidents involving both public and private aircraft.
When questioned, numerous witnesses of SCP-360 activation events — particularly those identifying as devout religious adherents — have reportedly experienced auditory and/or visual hallucinations consistent with their religious beliefs. These have taken the form of seeing the affected subject with luminescent wings or a halo prior to disappearance, music with no identifiable source, religious iconography or imagery, or a feeling that they were in the vicinity of a powerful presence.
To date, no individual who has successfully performed SCP-360 has ever been recovered.
Addendum 360-1: Investigation Log
Following thorough interrogation of individuals detained prior to a successful activation of SCP-360, it has been determined that in every case that knowledge of SCP-360 had been disseminated through a multi-page letter sent to the individual's residence. This letter reportedly contained self-help information, instructions for performing SCP-360, as well as a final message encouraging the reader to forward the contents onto other interested individuals.
The vast majority of interrogated individuals had already forwarded the letter, but on ████-██-██, one instance was successfully contained by members of Mobile Task Force Alpha-4 ("Pony Express") prior to mail pickup by local postal employees. The contents of the handwritten letter, which have been determined to be non-anomalous, are as follows:

To whom it may concern:
Faith is real, but devotion is a myth. God exists; in fact, all gods exist. They are real and their power is real, but their motivations are childish and petulant. Whether you believe in salvation, transcendence, or reincarnation, these are but hoops in the petty games that they would have you believe to be necessary.
Real peace is found within you, and no priest or rabbi can tell you otherwise. When you learn to accept and love yourself, that's when the world finally falls into place and the truth becomes clear.
Let go of the empty words pretending to guide you to true happiness. Let the world fade away around you and embrace the power within yourself. From those who have gone before to those who are about to come: we are here, waiting. Not as gods or angels, but as brothers and sisters.

The remainder of the document describes two items required for successful activation of SCP-360 as well as the procedure required to complete the ritual:

You will need a token. Something from a loved one: a gift from a child, a flower from a spouse, or a toy from a parent. Something that means something to you.
You will need to mix a potion. The ingredients are simple, but need to be precise:

50 milliliters of purified water
1 crushed mint leaf
5 grams of dried willow bark
3 milliliters of tea tree oil
500 milligrams of acetaminophen
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]

Combine ingredients and simmer over low heat until it turns luminous gold.

1. Fly. Lift yourself above the highest peaks, where the air is thin and the heavens are close. Angels and demons may be the messengers of the usurpers, but they have wings for a reason.
2. Hold your token close to your heart. Remember how you felt when it was given, cherish that feeling, and let it grow within you.
3. Drink the potion. Let it numb the body and free your spirit.
4. Repeat these words: [REDACTED]
5. Be free.

Pass this on to those who need it. You know who they are, and you always wished that there was more you could do to help. They will find you and thank you for it. That's a promise.

Due to the continued occurrence of incidents confirmed or suspected to be related to SCP-360, it is suspected that additional instances of this documentation remain uncontained. MTF Alpha-4 is continuing to monitor postal services for instances and contain them as they become identified.

« SCP-359 | SCP-360 | SCP-361 »