HIGH ON LIFE: Research shows great apes alter their mental states by spinning rapidly
Research findings show that great apes spin at speeds that induce physiological 'highs' in humans. They also suggest, like humans, great apes voluntarily seek and engage in altered experiences of self-perception and situational awareness.
MARC BEKOFF: A recent open-access research paper published in the journal Primates by… Adriano Lameira and Marcus Perlman analyzed 40 YouTube videos of 132 episodes of captive apes rope spinning, consisting of 709 rotations that mainly occurred during solitary play. They focused on the rotational speeds and duration of spinning by chimpanzees, orangutans, gorillas, and bonobos and compared the speeds of spinning with how humans spin…
Summarizing their work Lameira and Perlman wrote, “Closer inspection of the 43 cases when individuals released the rope revealed further evidence of dizziness”… The data collected in this study are interesting and important. The researchers note, “Our findings show that great apes spin at speeds that induce physiological ‘highs’ in humans.” They also suggest, “like humans, great apes voluntarily seek and engage in altered experiences of self-perception and situational awareness”…
What do these data say about their spiritual lives? Do animals marvel at their surroundings, have a sense of awe when they see a rainbow, find themselves by a waterfall, or ponder their environs? Do they ask where does lightning come from? Do they go into a “zone” when they play with others, forgetting about everything else save for the joy of playing?…
Their data and discussions reminded me of Jane Goodall’s observations of wild chimpanzees engaging in what she called “waterfall dances.” Goodall wondered whether these dances are indicative of religious behavior, precursors of religious ritual… This ‘waterfall dance’ may last 10 or 15 minutes… Chimpanzees also dance at the onset of heavy rains and during violent gusts of wind…
Goodall asks, “Is it not possible that these performances are stimulated by feelings akin to wonder and awe? After a waterfall display, the performer may sit on a rock, his eyes following the falling water. What is it, this water?” In June 2006, Jane and I visited the Mona Foundation’s chimpanzee sanctuary near Girona, Spain. We were told that Marco, one of the rescued chimpanzees, does a dance during thunderstorms in which he looks like he’s in a trance.
These are wonderful and important questions… It’s highly likely we are not alone in the arena of intentionally induced altered states of consciousness. We still have much to learn about the emotional lives of animals during normal and altered states of consciousness. SOURCE…
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