Spinning apes give clues on why humans seek out mind-altering experiences, according to new research
Most of us will remember wildly spinning around on the spot as children to experience a dizzy headrush.
Or tightly winding ourselves up on a swing before letting it it untwist at top speed, or enjoying the rapid rotations of a playground roundabout.
As it turns out, our great ape cousins also deliberately seek out similar dizzy thrills, according to a new study published in the journal Primates.
The study, by researchers from the University of Birmingham and the University of Warwick, could provide clues about the human desire for altered mental states.
To complete the study, the scientists analysed more than 40 videos of non-human great apes (gorillas, bonobos, chimpanzees and orangutans) engaging in spinning behaviour on ropes and vines. They found that, on average, the primates revolved 5.5 times per spinning episode and attained an average speed of 1.5 revolutions per second.
The scientists also discovered that the apes could spin as fast as pirouetting ballet dancers or circus artists twirling in mid-air using aerial silks.
“We experimented ourselves with spinning at these speeds, and found it difficult to sustain for as long as the great apes did, in several cases,” says Dr Marcus Perlman, who co-led the research.
Just as humans would, the apes became noticeably dizzy after a spinning session, often losing their balance and toppling over.
“This would indicate that the primates deliberately kept spinning, despite starting to feel the effects of dizziness,” says Perlman.
“Spinning is a way in which great apes can change their state of mind, and, since these apes share with humans the tendency to create such experiences, our discovery offers the tantalising prospect that we’ve inherited this drive to seek altered mental states from our evolutionary ancestors.”
Dr Adriano Lameira, who also co-led the study, commented: “Every culture has found a way of evading reality through dedicated and special rituals, practices or ceremonies. This human trait of seeking altered states is so universal, historically, and culturally, that it raises the intriguing possibility that it has been inherited from our evolutionary ancestors.
“If this was indeed the case, it would carry huge consequences on how we think about modern human cognition capacities and emotional needs.
“Spinning alters our state of consciousness, it messes up with our body-mind responsiveness and coordination, which make us feel sick, lightheaded, and even elated, as in the case of children playing on merry-go-rounds and carousels.”
According to the scientists, further research is needed to understand primates’ motivations for engaging in these behaviours.
Main image: gorilla spinning on vine in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda © University of Warwick/Kusini Safaris
Video: © University of Warwick/Kusini Safaris