The Strangest Theory of Human Evolution

Did 'Magic Mushrooms' make us Human? This is the Stoned Ape Theory - Terence McKenna believed that our intelligence was triggered by psilocybin.

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The claim is that psychedelics may have been the secret spark behind language, art, and even consciousness

It sounds crazy - But it’s a hypothesis that’s growing in popularity. So let’s explore the evidence, and try to understand how psilocybin may have played a crucial role in human evolution

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If the Stoned Ape Theory is a leap too far for most scientists, the next part of the story is far less controversial. Because while we may never know if psychedelics made us human, we do know that psychedelics have been with us for as long as culture itself. From the temples of ancient Greece to the rainforests of the Amazon, evidence is everywhere: humans have always sought out altered states of consciousness.

Let’s explore the evidence, and try to understand how psilocybin may have played a crucial role in human evolution

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Sources

McKenna, Terence. Food of the Gods: The Search for the Original Tree of Knowledge. Bantam Books, 1992.

Fischer, Roland, et al. “Psilocybin-Induced Contraction of Visual Space.” Pharmacopsychiatria, vol. 3, no. 2, 1970, pp. 112–118. DOI: 10.1055/s-0028-1094306.

Stamets, Paul. (1996). Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World: An Identification Guide. Ten Speed Press.

Pollan, Michael. (2018). How to Change Your Mind

https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/evolution/stoned-ape-hypothesis.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoned_ape_theory

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https://maps.org/about-maps/our-mission/

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