Did monkeys evolve into humans because they ate magic mushrooms?

There are so many mysteries and conspiracies about how people got to what they are today. Over the years, modern science has drawn some attention to unraveling some of these mysteries. But as some are uncovered, more are uncovered.

The relationship between the effects of magic mushrooms and evolution is currently being studied. Scientists suggest that we revisit an older theory to fully understand it. In the 1990s, Terence McKenna introduced the “Stoned Ape” theory, which suggested that magic mushrooms play an essential role in the development of human cognition and senses.

In this article we will try to dig deeper into McKenna’s theory and see what modern science has to add.

Psilocybin Mushrooms and Evolution

Information about Terence McKenna and his Stoned Ape theory is not new. It has been available for at least two decades. Any psilocybin or magic mushroom lover who knows this theory will find it incredible that their magic drug played a crucial role in evolution.

Scientists who have studied the Stoned Monkey theory say that unlike some others, the hypotheses can be modified to fit multiple existing assumptions without having conflicting meanings.

For those unfamiliar with this concept, the Stoned Monkey theory or hypothesis states that humans’ rapid cognitive development was directly caused by indiscriminate consumption of psilocybin mushrooms some 2 million to 300,000 years ago.

The theory is that the monkeys migrated to the grasslands from the forests of Africa and the savannahs. Their habitat shift from trees to grasslands describes how the great apes became bipedal species. Scientists explain that when the early great apes adapted to the grasslands, they had to hunt for prey. As it is now, large herds of prey leave dung heaps in their wake. Psilocybin mushrooms thrive best in manure. It is therefore impossible that the early hominids could not have eaten them as they followed the trail left by the dung.

The main point of the Stoned Monkey theory is that the cognition, empathy, and language of early hominids were enhanced primarily through the effects of these dung-grown psilocybin mushroom species. These magical foods aided in rapid and accelerated evolution.

Terence McKenna was famous for his increased interest in psychedelics, primarily psilocybin-derived mushrooms, in the late 1900s. The late philosopher was also an academic and a psychonaut who had a slew of fans and enemies. McKenna was one of those philosophers who was often at odds with society. He was both controversial and radical.

Terence was an ethnopharmacologist with unique ideas about drug use. Many of his views came from ancient evolutionary history, including the Stoned Monkey theory. McKenna wrote extensively about his faith in his book Food for the Gods. The book, written a few years before his death, focused on psychedelics and human consciousness, as well as other things McKenna felt were relevant.

The Relationship between Mushrooms and the Stoned Ape Theory

Without psilocybin mushrooms, there would be no stoned monkey theory. The latest research provides evidence that the fungus species is the earliest multicellular creatures on Earth. Records show that the first recorded fungus is at least 2 billion years old.

On the other hand, Homo sapiens first appeared around 649 million years ago, although the early Homo sapiens were called Homo erectus. This means that the fungus species predates humans by 2 billion years.

The hypotheses that mushrooms had a significant impact on human evolution and consciousness become more credible when one experiences the magical and enlightening journeys these mushrooms offer. Anyone who has tasted psilocybin mushrooms can attest that they have gained new information that has heightened their empathy and allowed them to see life from a different perspective. Simply put, they experience a drastic impact on their consciousness.

Modern science shows that psychedelics can immensely enhance human consciousness. This makes it easy to believe that McKenna was on the right track when he said psilocybin played a crucial role in evolution. Another modern scientific discovery is that psilocybin can increase neurogenesis and neuroplasticity, allowing the brain to replace old pathways. This implies that the magic mushroom may have helped early hominids learn and evolve faster.

The controversial aspect

The stoned monkey theory is not without flaws. The greatest flaw in the hypothesis amounts to an oversimplification of events surrounding human evolution. Modern science points out that evolution is a very complex process due to many factors.

McKenna proposes that just a single event influenced one of the most important events in evolution. Human consciousness may have been affected by psilocybin use. However, it is difficult to accept that this alone is responsible for the evolution of Homo sapiens.

Human empathy is deeper than that of animals or even plants. We are the only living organisms that have this deep, conscious experience of things. Although magic mushrooms encourage these behaviors, it may be an oversimplification to rule out other hypotheses that posit that humans have attained such high levels of consciousness because of the benefits derived from increased collective abilities. Instead, it is better to suggest that these psilocybin mushrooms are simply amplifying and accelerating the changes already underway.

Other information

Increasing research on psychedelics shows that they induce a serotonin feedback loop in the brain. Medications like DMT increase the release and absorption of serotonin in the brain. This allows the brain to build and replace existing pathways. In addition, psychedelics affect the claustrum, also known as the default mode network. The claustrophobia is a thin network of neurons that stretches across all areas of the brain. It manages multi-stimuli associated with consciousness.

bottom line

The stoned monkey theory, once met with skepticism, is now accepted. Not because it is correct, but because the hypothesis was far ahead of its time. While McKenna’s original piece may not be accurate due to its oversimplification, it would undoubtedly point modern scientists in the right direction. The Stoned Monkey Theory will be a basic idea to be imposed and studied with other views until an accurate theory is formulated.

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