Mushrooms, Evolution and the Millenium - Terence McKenna | Full 1991 Lecture

Recorded at Masonic Temple, Van Nuys, California, Sept. 8, 1991

First proposed by 20th century ethnobotanist Terence McKenna (1946-2000) in his 1992 book "Food of the Gods," the basic concept is that the consumption of psychedelic fungi may have played a crucial role in the development of human mind and culture.

According to the author's younger brother, Dennis McKenna, the idea emerged out of conversations between the two. Dennis is himself an ethnopharmacologist and research pharmacognosist, as well as founder of the McKenna Academy of Natural Philosophy.

The journey takes us back to the Pleistocene epoch, stretching between 2.6 million and 11,700 years ago, which saw major changes in climate. The changes would have put our ancestors on the move through new, challenging and bountiful environments.

Terence also argued that psilocybin would have increased visual acuity at low doses, increased sex drive and enhanced cooperation — all factors that could have proven adaptive to our ancestors. Stamets, a vocal supporter of the theory, has also pointed out the leadership qualities that would have resulted from the mix of bravery and empathy brought on by these substances.

Download a transcript of this talk here:
https://www.scribd.com/document/386498489/Terencemckenna-Mushrooms-Evolution-and-the-Millenium
(I am not affiliated with scribd, this is just a useful link)

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Terence McKenna advocated the exploration of altered states of mind via the ingestion of naturally occurring psychedelic substances; for example, and in particular, as facilitated by the ingestion of high doses of psychedelic mushrooms, ayahuasca, and DMT, which he believed was the apotheosis of the psychedelic experience.

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