MCKENNA, Terence
McKenna, Terence (b. Nov. 16, 1946, Paonia, Colo., U.S.—d. Apr. 3, 2000, Marin County, Calif., U.S.), American ethnobotanist and lecturer, was the leading popularizer of psychedelic-plant advocacy in the late 20th century, originating the Stoned Ape hypothesis of human cognitive evolution and the numerological Timewave Zero model, neither of which is accepted by mainstream science.
American ethnobotanist and psychedelic advocate who popularized the Stoned Ape Hypothesis and theories about DMT-induced contact with hyperspace entities. McKenna argued that psilocybin mushroom consumption catalyzed human consciousness evolution and that psychedelic compounds offered access to parallel dimensions inhabited by intelligent beings. His TimeWave Zero theory claimed mathematical patterns in the I Ching predicted a “novelty” singularity coinciding with the Mayan calendar end-date of December 21, 2012.
McKenna’s “Archaic Revival” concept advocated returning to pre-agricultural shamanic practices as an antidote to modern technological alienation. Though lacking scientific validation, his articulate presentations at psychedelic conferences and published works influenced New Age spirituality and contemporary consciousness research. He collaborated with his brother Dennis McKenna on early ayahuasca and psilocybin experiments in the Amazon during the 1970s, documenting their experiences in “The Invisible Landscape” (1975).
His later works, including “Food of the Gods” (1992), positioned psychoactive plants as drivers of human cultural development. McKenna’s death from brain cancer in 2000 elevated his status among psychedelic advocates who viewed his tumor as potentially linked to his extensive DMT research.
Bibliography:
- Food of the Gods: The Search for the Original Tree of Knowledge by Terence McKenna (1992)
- True Hallucinations by Terence McKenna (1993)
- The Archaic Revival by Terence McKenna (1991)
- Trialogues at the Edge of the West by McKenna, Abraham, and Sheldrake (1992)