The origin of culture

Danilo Anton

Once humans became omnivorous, they also gradually became. consumers of psychoactive plants. Simultaneously a slow process of evolution changed their physical form, their capacity to manipulate tools and  to create and understand symbols. This allowed humans to generate a distinguishing quality: the development of culture.

Cultures are indeed a essential and variable part of human societies. They appear, they evolve, diverge. 

When the first cultures were generated, they started an unstoppable process of change. Rituals, ceremonies and spiritual approaches to existence were created.

Highly complex communication systems were spoken, designed or written.

And finally, scientific and technological concepts and devices were imagined and built. Because of their origin and evolution in constant contact with psychoactive plants, human primates acquired a natural fascination with altered states of consciousness. 

The deeply generated messages that were activated by the psychoactive plants allowed spiritual growth.

For this reason, understanding human cultures requires taking into account the role of psychoactive plants to develop them.

Without psycoactive plants cultural evolution becomes meaningless.

Perhaps this may explain the unique attraction, sometimes obsession, that us, humans, feel for these powerful plants.

It should not be forgotten, the Plants provide the codes that allow to decipher essential characteristics of the human species.

They are keys to understand ourselves beyond superficial appearances.

From: "Peoples, Drugs and Serpents", Danilo Anton, Piriguazu Ediciones