Synopsis, the psycolibin in shrooms is the “soma”, mana, mushrooms of ~god. People would trip on them when they eat them.

These articles go into a lot of detail on the matter

This one is about a Berkley Professor named Terrence McKenna

Website with a pdf on his findings

Joe Rogan’s theory is spores are alien life due to their chemical compound structure. We eat them and come into contact with them.

However, he then talks about San Pedro cactus later on, which isn’t a mushroom, but produces similar affects (mescaline vs psilocybin).

I do believe in the Ancient mysticism and it’s root with drugs. The Oracle at Delphi, Peyote. Humans crave addictive substances. Those with hallucinogenics effects I’m sure were viewed as prophetic visions and kick-starting mysticism and religion in general. I would say these drugs in their naturally derived forms probably gave intense visuals without the manufactured side affects of modern day drugs.

The theory is very interesting on his evolution of apes through eating magic mushrooms. That one makes a lot of sense. The ability to become self aware from consuming them.

Here’s a documentary on ancient drugs and religion

It is my theory, that ancient drugs have been a part of human mysticism since the beginnings of trying to achieve a higher state of reality and understand the universe. It’s an interesting theory to think that hallucinogenic drugs may have served as our catalyst for evolution.

Tie this into gnosticism, Eleusinian and Orphic Mysteries, and voila. You have a mystical mess of mythology.

I think today, raves are a form of modern day tribal mysticism.

Update
Shrooms and Mescaline are the EARTH’S way of notifying human beings of the Earth’s existence and humanities oneness with nature.

This all ties into Cult of Demeter (Eleusinian Mysteries) and Dionysus (Crete roots) and entheogenic mystical “soma” roots.