Terrence McKenna claimed that human evolution was jump-started when our early ancestors consumed the “magic mushroom”. He claimed ingesting the mushroom caused man to develop self-realization and language. For further info. search" mushrooms and human evolution".
In that case we would be able to replicate self awareness in monkeys as well. I think it’s rather unlikely, as altering mind states is detrimental to survival in the wild. A stoned ape is unlikely to survive and replicate.
They sure are, and they write books, too. Just saw some of their works in Barnes and Noble the other day. (must have been multi-generational use of high quality hallucinogenics there)
Terrence was talking about proto-humans. not monkeys. This is the old fundy argument against evolution–that current monkeys don’t appear to be changing. How do we know what caused the primitive humans to become homo sapiens? And what of the mushroom’s effect on consciousness could have fostered language? The theory is not so extravagant once one considers the necessity of self-awareness for the possibility of language as communication about necessities.
I believe religion in its very beginnings or origins was a kind of delusional psychological break with reality but nonetheless was powerful enough to physiologically and neurologically transform the human mind. No need for drugs as things like delusion, psychosis, or breaking away from reality can physically alter the brain also overtime.
I’m not sure shrooms improved my language skills or sense of self.
A lot of people report a sense of depersonalization after ingesting shrooms and other psychedelics.
But animals are drawn to hallucinogens and also to medicinal herbs when they are sick. I am not sure if I agree with McKenna, but many animals including apes do indulge in hallucinogens and I would guess they would have already stopped if it were evolutionarily detrimental.