Wild tales of intoxication and altered states of consciousness run rampant in the animal kingdom.
Dolphins get enthusiastic about the toxins in pufferfish, reindeers “fly” on magic mushroomsand monkeys, raccoons and possums love strong drinks.
Scientists now imagine that great apes — gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, and orangutans — like to twirl on vines or ropes to induce dizzying altered states.
By analyzing dozens of videos on YouTube showing monkeys spinning, researchers from the UK’s University of Warwick and the University of Birmingham found that the speed at which the monkeys were spinning gave the animals a short-term high. The great apes often lost their balance and fell over after spinning.
‘Spinning changes our state of consciousness,’ explained Dr Adriano Lameira, Professor of Psychology at the University of Warwick. Press Release. “It impairs the response and coordination of the body and mind, making us feel sick, dizzy and even excited, as with children fiddling with merry-go-rounds, reels and merry-go-rounds.”
The videos showed that the habit of turning around was not limited to captive great apes – great apes in the wild also engaged in the practice – even though it was seen more often in captivity, perhaps due to boredom and lack of mental stimulation. Other primates, including gibbons and monkeys, also enjoy a good spin.
Scientists compare spinning and the sensations it produces with certain ancient religious practices and “transcendent human experiences” equivalent to Sufi dervishes who spin rapidly to achieve a meditative way of thinking.
The authors of the study, published in the journal Primates, imagine there could also be a link between spinning behavior and mental health, in each animals and humans.
“There are some interesting similarities that need to be explored further to understand why persons are motivated to engage in these behaviors,” Dr. Lameira said. “It’s totally possible that we sought out and engaged in mind-altering experiences before we were even modern humans.”
Scientists in Australia watched dolphins holding pufferfish of their mouths,
probably to get the numbing effect of the tetrodotoxin present in fish
internal organs. Oddly enough, they then pass the puffer fish to other dolphins of their pod —
reminding onlookers how a group of partygoers “puff and pass” a marijuana joint.
And while countless animals seek fermented fruit to enjoy their alcoholic sweetness,
reindeer take him to a psychedelic extreme by eating Amanita muscaria mushrooms, which contain the hallucinogens muscimol and ibotenic acid. Shamans in the North
Europe has used red and white mushrooms in ceremonies, which has led some to imagine it
beloved Christmas traditions (equivalent to flying reindeer and men in red and white
costumes) could have unexpected origins.