The Lifestyle of Hunters & Gatherers

To set the background, you need to imagine the environment of early humans. We primarily lived as nomadic pastoralists, foraging and hunting for survival. Our strategy involved staying in groups and following large herds of mammals. While early humans would occasionally hunt, they foraged every day. Nuts and berries might sound nice, but a constant foraging sourcehunting occurred occasionally, foraging was a daily necessity. Although nuts and berries might seem appealing, a consistent source of foraging in grasslands is actually poop. Dung often contains seeds, grubs, and other insects. For example, here is a baboon searching through shit:

What else likes poop? Psilocybin mushrooms are coprophilic, meaning they are dung loving.

“It is the most astonishing object in the grassland environment. And after a period of rain, to walk out and see these things by the dozens, and then by the hundreds and always vectored in on the same cowpies that are of interest to foraging baboons, you’ll see then that by design or destiny the mushroom was placed directly in the path of the foraging proto-hominids. And certainly would be tested for its food value.”

-Terence

Now that we know early humans consumed psilocybin, what effects did it have? Low to moderate doses of psilocybin enhance visual acuity, making edges sharper and colors brighter. Here are examples of how psilocybin increases color saturation and visual edge detection:

Psilocybin Effects

This was scientifically tested in the 1960s, when two metal bars were held parallel with mechanisms to gradually skew them. Participants were asked to hit a buzzer when the bars were no longer parallel. Those who had taken psilocybin consistently reacted faster than the placebo group. R. Fischer, the scientist conducting the study, remarked to Terence, “Here’s a case where taking a drug actually gives you better information about reality than if you hadn’t taken a drug.”

This suggests that humans who consumed mushrooms could hunt and forage more effectively.

“You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see that if you are handed a pair of chemical binoculars in a hunting situation, you’re going to be a more effective hunter.” – Terence

Epigenetics & Social Effects

The increase in food supply likely led to greater reproductive success. At higher doses, psilocybin acted as an aphrodisiac, promoting boundary dissolution and heightened awareness of the present moment. This could have even encouraged group sexual activities and strengthened community bonds.

Another effect of high doses was increased activity in the brain’s language-forming regions, leading to new forms of communication through visions and vocalizations. While we may never prove this theory definitively, it is clear that early humans utilized psilocybin. One compelling piece of evidence is the “mushroom man,” a figure found in Algerian caves dating back approximately 10,000 years.

In summary, psilocybin mushrooms contributed to increased food supply, pro-social behaviors, language development, and reproduction. Incorporating psilocybin into the human diet likely facilitated rapid evolution and brain growth. Further studies on the social implications of early psilocybin use may shed more light on this fascinating connection.