The Stoned Ape Hypothesis
The Stoned Ape
As our primitive ancestors migrated out of Africa they tracked their prey by following the hoof prints and scat left behind. Growing on the droppings and broken branches behind the herd was the Psilocybe cubensis mushroom. Terence McKenna thinks the consumption of this fungi was the cause of a leap in human neurogenesis and the increase of our prefrontal cortex. The missing link in human evolution was an epigenetic reaction to eating large amounts of psychedelic mushrooms. Paul Stamat agrees:
“I present this to you because I want to bring back the concept of the Stoned Ape Hypothesis,” Stamets said to the crowd. “What is really important for you to understand is that there was a sudden doubling of the human brain 200,000 years ago. From an evolutionary point of view, that’s an extraordinary expansion. And there is no explanation for this sudden increase in the human brain.”
Paul Stamets really loves mushrooms. He believes they are sentient and create mycelial networks that are both highly complex and intelligent. He hopes one day to better understand their structures well enough to interface with the network directly and begin a dialogue. He further postulates, if we find them, alien structures may be fungal due to the ability of mycelium to epigenetically adapt to extreme environments.
He thinks psyliciliban is a neurotropic vitamin. He tells a story to Joe Rogan of how his heavy stutter was cured overnight by a strong mushroom experience.
I think this is a solid theory and as good as any out there. If you have ever eaten magic mushrooms you already know of the profound experiences that they can bring. They are also very fun and can make you feel great, which I feel is important. People are micro-dosing to fight PTSD, depression and other disorders as well as for heightened mental performance. Mushrooms seem to be coming into popularity for a number of solutions to some surprising problems. For other health benefits...
lions mane mushrooms for a legal neurotropic to stimulate brain health,
Enoki mushrooms can help reduce cancer risk,
cordyceps mushrooms which grow on dead caterpillars have been linked to higher athletic performance and are prized in Eastern medicine.
Reishi mushrooms are good for just about everything from headaches to cancer and have been widely used for thousands of years medicinally
photos: inverse.com
Crazy cool
Fascinating, never head of anyone tying fungi (the magic sort) consumption to neurogenesis - curious to investigate some more.
I do love the mushrooms, consume them quite often...trumpets, enoki, reishi oysters, shiitake. Never tried lions mane, don't imagine that can be bought at my health food store.
Micro-dosing is becoming popular in California right now. I want to try but have been out of college for too long to buy any magic mushrooms. But it has been raining so.... maybe I can find some.
I hear ya. I'm pretty far removed from my days of collegiate psychedelics, though they would be a fascinating revisit with a more mature, spiritually-oriented awareness. The trend of microdosing very frequently (daily or multiple times per week) concerns me...intuitively I'm thinking that regularily/permanently altering your state of perception may be a bad idea, create an awareness that is not inherently yours (potentially devolving into escapism). However, as a recreational/infrequent mechanism (a perception/awareness "holiday") I think it could be an excellent way to refresh the manner in which one sees and interprets the world around them.
Right, like camping, maybe a few times a year for a few days at a time.
yes, yes, would be an excellent way to enjoy the experience :)
I've been familiar with McKenna's hypothesis for more than a decade and it's a fascinating one although still waiting to be confirmed :)
It is interesting. I have not heard anyone account for the rapid development of human intelligence in a better way.
I completely agree. Thank you for bringing this up. I see this hypothesis happening in real life both in myself and others who have been healed and/or grown tremendously in short periods of time through the medicinal use of psychedelics.
I would rank it high in my personal experiences. I feel like psychedelics have allowed me to better understand life and the connectivity of the world.