Desire to lose control: an evolutionary trait exhibited by monkeys that shock each other?

The researchers analyzed 40 online videos showing great apes spinning. in A recent study Published in the journal primatesSpinning, they hypothesize, played a role in human willingness to lose control.

Evolutionary psychologist Adriano Lamira and cognitive scientist Marcus Perlman came up with this idea when they saw a viral video online of a gorilla lapping around in a children’s pool at the Dallas Zoo.

“While this is a highly speculative hypothesis, it is possible that ‘spinning’ intentionally altered our state of mind before we learned how to make alcohol, or how we drink alcohol,” says Lamira.

“There could be a mental health link, as the primates we observed engaging in this behavior were often captive individuals, perhaps bored and trying to stimulate their senses in some way.

However, the scientist points out that it can also be a playful behavior, and notes that children are especially prone to getting dizzy, whether on swings, slides, carousels, etc.

Hanging upside down or spinning in a circle upsets the delicate balance of our physiological state and gives us a feeling of psychological euphoria in the form of dizziness, lightheadedness, burning in the head or lightheadedness.

The scientist stated that “this human characteristic of seeking altered states is so universal, historically and culturally, that it raises the intriguing possibility that it is a phenomenon likely inherited from our evolutionary ancestors.”

Also, for adults, twirling is often an essential part of the dance, which can improve mood and bring groups of people together.

“What we wanted to try to understand with this study was whether spinning could be studied as a rudimentary behavior that human ancestors could have adopted independently and derived from other states of consciousness. If all great apes craved spinning, chances are our ancestors did, too.” Lamira says.

In the 40 videos studied by the two scientists, great apes appear to voluntarily seek imbalance, engaging in experiences that modify their perception of themselves and their position in space.

The two scientists also showed that these animals turn over on their own until they are no longer able to do so.