Stoned ape theory

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Not to be confused with Stone Tape Theory.
Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms in Coyopolan, Veracruz, Mexico. McKenna and his proponents place these psilocybin mushrooms as the central force in the theory.

The stoned ape theory is a controversial theory first proposed by American

Food of the Gods.[1][2] The theory claims that the transition from Homo erectus to Homo sapiens and the cognitive revolution was caused by the addition of psilocybin mushrooms, specifically the mushroom Psilocybe cubensis, into the human diet[3] around 100,000 years ago. Using evidence largely based on studies from Roland L. Fischer
et al. from the 1960s and 1970s, he attributed much of the mental strides made by humans during the cognitive revolution to the effects of psilocybin intake found by Fischer.

McKenna's argument has largely been ignored by the scientific community,[4] who cite numerous alleged discrepancies within his theory and claim that his conclusions were arrived at via a fundamental misunderstanding of Fischer's studies. McKenna's theory was not based on scientific evidence.[5]

Overview

In his book, McKenna argued that due to

cowpats.[1]

According to McKenna, access to and

ancestors,[3][1]
also providing humanity's first religious impulse. He believed that psilocybin mushrooms were the "evolutionary catalyst" from which language, projective imagination, the arts, religion, philosophy, science, and all of human culture sprang.

Evidence

To support his claim, McKenna used studies from the

psychopharmacologist Roland L. Fischer
dating back to the 1960s and 1970s to underline the purported effects psychedelics would have had on mankind.

McKenna claimed that minor doses of

ego and make religious matters the forefront of the mind.[1]

Variations

DMT
-containing psychedelics such as Ayahuasca were.

Some who hold that the use of drugs played a pivotal role in human development argue that it was not psilocybin that initiated greater cognitive development amongst humans, but was instead spurred by other psychedelics such as

DMT-containing substances, in particular, Ayahuasca. Ayahuasca has been shown to increase trait openness significantly by one standard deviation.[6][7] Additionally, it has shown to increase interest in abstract ideas and visual acuity when consumed.[8] This has led to it being hypothesized that some sort of DMT-containing substance was the culprit behind the cognitive revolution.[6]

Reception

The stoned ape theory had been widely criticized by the greater scientific community. McKenna's theory was labeled as overly speculative by much of the academic community

psychedelic substances does not reflect any of the evolutionary advantages that McKenna argued would emerge from using psilocybin-containing substances.[10][11]

See also

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 978-0-7126-7038-8
    .
  2. ^ "Psilocybin, the Mushroom, and Terence McKenna". www.vice.com. 12 August 2014. Retrieved 2022-12-10.
  3. ^
    ISBN 978-0-06-082829-5
    .
  4. ISBN 978-0-19-267852-2
    .
  5. doi:10.3316/informit.997302336792843
    .
  6. ^
    PMID 32700023
    .
  7. PMID 34421675
    .
  8. PMID 29366418
    .
  9. ^ Olsen, Oscar. "The Stoned Ape Hypothesis, A Contemporary Reappraisal". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  10. ISBN 978-0-7679-0743-9
    .
  11. ISBN 978-0-9554196-2-1
    .
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