The birth of human consciousness may have been truly magical.
Scientists have claimed that consumption of psilocybin mushrooms, also known as “magic mushrooms,” influenced the brains of pre-human hominids six million years ago.
They analyzed dozens of studies involving psilocybin and consciousness, and found that the mushrooms increased connectivity between networks in the frontal region of the brain associated with expressive language, decision-making and memory.
This triggered “important neurological and psychological effects” that, the team suggested, led human ancestors to interact with each other and with the environment.
The idea that magic mushrooms brought about the tipping point in humans has been promoted by podcaster Joe Rogan, who has referenced the “stoned ape theory” on his show several times.
Psilocybin, a property found in magic mushrooms, enhanced ancient humans’ visual hunting and gathering abilities and they may have used it to heighten their sexual arousal, increasing the chances of mating.
Ancient humans who consumed magic mushrooms six million years ago may have played a vital role in the development of modern humans’ consciousness.
The theory, proposed in 1992 by ethnobotanist Terence McKenna, suggests that the evolution from Homo erectus to Homo sapiens and the cognitive enhancement associated with this change were caused by the consumption of psilocybin mushrooms.
‘(Learning) from our ancestors, we can use psilocybin today to connect with parts of ourselves we didn’t know about, to face our fears and heal our traumas,’ said study co-author and biologist Jehoshua Macedo-Bedoya. Popular mechanics.
Researchers at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru analyzed studies dating back to 1998 and discovered that psilocybin stimulates the central nervous system, leading to a heightened sense of consciousness.
They also found information that suggested Psilocybin connected the brain’s frontal lobes, the prefrontal cortex, and the anterior cingulate cortex millions of years ago.
These regions are responsible for decision making, problem solving, and reasoning skills.
The mushrooms were also found to affect the hippocampus, part of the brain’s limbic system that converts short-term memories into long-term memories and processes emotions, including anxiety and avoidance behaviors.
‘From an evolutionary perspective, it is proposed that psilocybin ingestion could have contributed to the improvement of visual abilities and reproductive success of communities that made use of these mushrooms,’ according to a translation of the study in Spanish.
Research reviewed by the team found that humans developed the CYP2D6 gene millions of years ago to synthesize psychoactive substances, including psilocybin.
These findings suggested that humans were eating fungi and that their bodies evolved to tolerate the chemicals.
Psilocybin may also have been “a catalyst for mystical experiences or a driver of cognitive processes, raising profound questions about the ancestral interaction between humans and their natural environment,” the study said.
Fungi affect the part of the brain called the hippocampus, which is responsible for reflecting thoughts and experiences and makes some people feel connected to the people and world around them.
Podcast host Joe Rogan has discussed the “drugged ape theory” in depth on his podcast, arguing that it should be questioned but is a “compelling idea.”
The new study appears to support the “drugged monkey theory” that Rogan discussed at length in his podcast in 2021.
But the scientific community has widely criticized the idea, arguing that our ancient ancestors exhibited none of these evolutionary advantages.
While Rogan said on his podcast that McKenna’s credibility should be questioned and criticized the investigator’s alleged drug use, he acknowledged that it was a compelling theory.
“(McKenna) was a fun guy to listen to, … but the idea that these ancient hominids experimented, rather experimented, with psilocybin and this is what advanced culture, language, advanced their understanding of each other, is a very compelling idea,” Rogan said.