What do psychedelics actually do? Why do they feel so different from other drugs? And could they be far older than the 1960s counterculture?

In this episode, Ask speaks with paleontologist Jakob Vinther (University of Bristol) about the neuroscience behind psychedelic experiences — how they interact with serotonin receptors, why the default mode network matters, and what explains both the intensity and the risks of these states.

They discuss why psychedelics don’t behave like stimulants or sedatives, what really causes a “bad trip,” and why set and setting are so crucial.

Jakob then lays out a revised, testable version of the Stoned Ape hypothesis: the idea that early humans may have carried psychedelic mushrooms with them as they migrated across the world, making these substances a much older part of the human story than we usually think.

A clear, grounded look at the science — and the deep history — of psychedelics.