goddess. Through the psychotropic drugs contained in these simple fungi, humans found that they could induce an altered state of consciousness approximating, in some instances, that of a deep trance. The most common such mushrooms contain the neurotransmitters psilocybin and psilocin that act on receptor neurons that are sensitive to serotonin. Such neurons are known to be involved in a variety of regulatory processes within the brain, in particular, the regulation of mood and of sensory distribution. One possible effect of the psychotropic drugs derived from mushrooms is to inhibit the reuptake of serotonin by pre-synaptic neurons, essentially enhancing the duration of serotonin induced processes. The net effect is that ingesting hallucinogenic mushrooms can cause significant distortions in the brain’s normal processing activities, giving rise to hallucinations. Based on these hallucinations, a person might well perceive effects beyond those of natural sensory stimulation; in other words, they might well induce effects perceived as preternatural. Such effects can present as a state of ecstasy within the mind.

The state of ecstasy is largely an emotional state. As such, it would comprise a component of the emotional assessment that lies between sensory input and motor response that we noted in the previous chapter as described by Scherer. If this emotional assessment presents as a component of the contextual compartmentalization and subsequent metaphorical understanding such as might be exhibited by mirror neuron constructs, then ecstasy would have a profound impact on the metaphorical projection of internal sensori-motor experience to the external world. This impact would likely manifest itself as an enhanced degree of trust in the cognitive processes that occur during this altered state of consciousness; a net effect that feels like a connection of the mind to the supernatural, perhaps to God. Thus, it seems quite plausible that the state of ecstasy, including situations where it is induced by psychotropic drugs, is a source of enhanced trust on which a religious framework could be established.

Of course, once recognized, the state of ecstasy became a goal to be sought. It feels good and we derive cosmic understanding from it. “Wouldn’t it be great if we could get that feeling without having to find mushrooms?” Indeed the state, or certainly a near approximation of the state, can be induced purely through cognitive processes, augmented by appropriate sensory input. Through meditation, rhythmic chants and sensory manipulation, certain individuals can develop the ability to enter a state of deep trance, and hence of ecstasy, without the need for drugs. Persons particularly adept at this practice can be viewed as special or as weird. If their professions while in a state of altered consciousness coincide well with physical reality, they might well be perceived as chosen ones who could talk with God. If their professions ran counter to others perceptions of the current physical reality, then they might simply be viewed as persons who hear voices in their heads. With one focus they are prophets; with the other they are heretics.

A truly unique and unifying characteristic of all religions, relative to other social ecosystems, is the identity and location of the ultimate purveyor of trust. Specifically, religions seem to establish an ultimate trust purveyor in one of two basic ways: from outside the physical ecosystem in which the social ecosystem resides or as the result of a purely cognitive construct within the mind of the individual. Thus, within a theistic religion based social ecosystem, trust emanates from a supernatural source. On the other hand, within a non-theistic religion trust emanates from the processes of the mind. We will look in much more detail at these two approaches in Chapter 7 and Chapter 8 respectively. No matter the specific religion, this ultimate purveyor of trust rarely communicates with humans directly through their sensory system when it is in an unaltered state. Instead, most of those who have heard the source of trust speak to them have accomplished this act through sub-auditory or sub-optical means. It is up to them to subsequently convey the words uttered by the voices to the rest of the people. Thus, we have trust established through group belief

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