Food of the Gods Audiobook By Terence McKenna cover art

Food of the Gods

The Search for the Original Tree of Knowledge : A Radical History of Plants, Drugs, and Human Evolution

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Food of the Gods

By: Terence McKenna
Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
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About this listen

Terence McKenna hypothesizes that as the North African jungles receded, giving way to savannas and grasslands near the end of the most recent ice age, a branch of our arboreal primate ancestors left the forest canopy and began living in the open areas beyond. There they experimented with new varieties of foods as they adapted, physically and mentally, to the environment. Among the new foods found in this environment were psilocybin-containing mushrooms growing near dung of ungulate herds occupying the savannas and grasslands.

Referencing the research of Roland L. Fisher, McKenna claims the enhancement of visual acuity was an effect of psilocybin at low doses and suggests this would confer adaptive advantage. He argues that the effects of slightly larger doses, including sexual arousal, and in larger doses, ecstatic hallucinations & glossolalia - gave selective evolutionary advantages to members of those tribes who partook of it. There were many changes caused by the introduction of this psychoactive to primate diets. He hypothesizes, for instance, that synesthesia (the blurring of sensory boundaries) caused by psilocybin led to the development of spoken language: the ability to form pictures in another person's mind through the use of vocal sounds.

About 12,000 years ago, further climate changes removed psilocybin-containing mushrooms from human diets. He argues that this event resulted in a new set of profound changes in our species as we reverted to the previous brutal primate social structures that had been modified and/or repressed by frequent consumption of psilocybin.

©1992 Terrence McKenna (P)2012 Tantor
Addiction & Recovery Environment Mental Health Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Science Sociology Thought-Provoking Inspiring Food Truck Plant Evolution
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Critic reviews

"Deserves to be a modern classic on mind-altering drugs and hallucinogens." ( The Washington Post)

Featured Article: Mushroom Mania—11 Fantastic Listens About Fungi


Mushrooms are so much more than just a pizza topping. With new information and applications cropping up constantly, the world of fungal research is as deep and complex as mushrooms themselves. These seemingly innocent bundles of caps and stalks are just the fruiting body of a complex underground network of fungal threads called mycelia. Neither plant nor animal, the fungal kingdom lives mostly out of sight, but these days, never out of mind.

Thought-provoking Theories • Comprehensive Historical Perspective • Engaging Content • Fascinating Anthropological Insights
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it's been a year-and-a-half or so since I first read or listen to this book and have to say I learned so much more the second time around

2nd listen

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This book is a must read not only for those interested in psychedelic therapy but for most of humanity.

Truth

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well researched and very helpful information about lost information. highly recommend anyone reading it there lots to take away from it.

very informative

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Breathtaking survey of human partnership with consciousness-expanding plants throughout history, as well as a fierce rebuke of the dominator society we currently live in and the various substances that support and reinforce its destructive values and behaviors. A clarion call to return to ourselves, to dissolve ego, to seek partnership with nature and with one another. Brilliant!

Wonderfully informative and challenging!

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really excellent arguments all the through ... could not stop listening ...

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A Must Read For the 21st century

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this is a fantastic listen to get a much deeper and meaningful understanding of Psycadelics and drugs history and learn without the brainwashed lessons pushed by most others

Very enlightening

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put words to the joy and turmoil living within an eden that is being consumed

life changing

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really good. just listen to it already. it's sorta commonplace nowadays but positive thinking is forward movement

fantastic

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Even if you don't agree with the author's conclusions it is a perspective very worth listening to. Also a very pleasant listen as the writing is good and the narrator has an alert yet soothing voice.

Necessary and worth it

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1. tax religion
2. remove all grocery stores

people will stop believing in talking snakes and magic.

people won't have enough time to gate because they will soon find out that they would without others making food for them

answer to world peace

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