--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What's popularly known as the evolution…" description: "\"What's popularly known as the evolution of consciousness, in other words that the expansion of cognitive repertoire that occurs in human beings, which ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23b/terence-mckenna-287_believe_what-s-popularly-known-as-the-evolution_2654856.jpg" --- # What's popularly known as the evolution of consciousness… ![“What's popularly known as the evolution of consciousness, in other words that the expansion of cognitive repertoire that occurs in human beings, which has always been a great puzzle to evolutionary theory, I believe, occurred in the presence of a kind of catalyst for the human imagination.” quote by Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23b/terence-mckenna-287_believe_what-s-popularly-known-as-the-evolution_2654856.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23b/terence-mckenna-287_believe_what-s-popularly-known-as-the-evolution_2654856.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23b/terence-mckenna-287_believe_what-s-popularly-known-as-the-evolution_2654856.jpg) > “What's popularly known as the evolution of consciousness, in other words that the expansion of cognitive repertoire that occurs in human beings, which has always been a great puzzle to evolutionary theory, I believe, occurred in the presence of a kind of catalyst for the human imagination.” [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human imagination expands cognitive abilities, acting as a catalyst that drives evolutionary breakthroughs and complex thought. **In simple terms:** Imagination fuels mental growth. Key Takeaway Cultivate creative thinking. Themes creativity evolution mind Mood inquisitive inspired Type academic spiritual When to use this quote - education - innovation - personal development Key Concepts cognitive science philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What sparks imaginative breakthroughs? - How does imagination shape cultural evolution? A Different Perspective Imagination alone may not guarantee evolution. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Biology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biology/) [Catalyst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catalyst/) [Cognitive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cognitive/) [Cognitive Repertoire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cognitive-repertoire-2380002/) [Consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consciousness/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Evolution Consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution-consciousness-236647/) [Expansion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expansion/) [Expansion Cognitive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expansion-cognitive-2380001/) [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) [Human imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-imagination/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [I believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-believe/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Known](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/known/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Puzzles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/puzzles/) [Theory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theory/) ## Related quotes > [I do not think that the government, under the guise of some phony, alarmist, pseudo-scientific rhetoric, should attempt to control the evolution of consciousness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/i-do-not-think-that-the-government-under-the-guise-of-some-phony/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [The human imagination, which is our great glory, has grown so powerful that we can barely unleash it on the surface of the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/the-human-imagination-which-is-our-great-glory-has-grown-so-powerful/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [The human imagination, in conjunction with technology, has become a force so potent that it really can no longer be unleashed on the surface…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/the-human-imagination-in-conjunction-with-technology-has-become-a/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [If psychedelics are exopheromones that dissolve the dominant ego, then they are also enzymes that synergize the human imagination and empower language. They cause…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/if-psychedelics-are-exopheromones-that-dissolve-the-dominant-ego-then/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [The monkey body has carried us to this moment of release, but we are coming more and more to exist in a world made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/the-monkey-body-has-carried-us-to-this-moment-of-release-but-we-are/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [One reaches through to the continents and oceans of the imagination, worlds able to sustain anyone who will but play, and then lets the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/one-reaches-through-to-the-continents-and-oceans-of-the-imagination/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [The creative act is a letting down of the net of human imagination into the ocean of chaos on which we are suspended, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/the-creative-act-is-a-letting-down-of-the-net-of-human-imagination-2/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [“The creative act is a letting down of the net of human imagination into the ocean of chaos on which we are suspended, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/the-creative-act-is-a-letting-down-of-the-net-of-human-imagination/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Everything will come true in cyberspace. That's the whole idea. What cyberspace is, on one level, it's simply the human imagination vivified, hardwired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/everything-will-come-true-in-cyberspace-that-s-the-whole-idea-what/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [One way to think about what psychedelics are is as catalysts for language development. They literally force the evolution of language. You cannot evolve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/one-way-to-think-about-what-psychedelics-are-is-as-catalysts-for/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [The way I think of the psychedelics is, they are catalysts to the imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/the-way-i-think-of-the-psychedelics-is-they-are-catalysts-to-the/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [At still higher doses psilocybin triggers this activity in the language-forming capacity of the brain that manifests as song and vision. Psilocybin may have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/at-still-higher-doses-psilocybin-triggers-this-activity-in-the/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [All psychedelic explorers should be aware of the concept of what is called a cognitive hallucination. The is a much more insidious phenomenon. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/all-psychedelic-explorers-should-be-aware-of-the-concept-of-what-is/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [For me, the glory of the human animal is cognitive activity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/for-me-the-glory-of-the-human-animal-is-cognitive-activity/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. How do you know this is the experience you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/life-will-give-you-whatever-experience-is-most-helpful-for-the/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) ## More by Terence McKenna > [History was an incredibly damaging experience, and now it's over . . . in a sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/history-was-an-incredibly-damaging-experience-and-now-it-s-over-in-a/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [The history of man that you don't know is what your unconscious is made out of. Just as the history of yourself that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/the-history-of-man-that-you-don-t-know-is-what-your-unconscious-is/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [We are consciousness. We may not always be monkeys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-consciousness-we-may-not-always-be-monkeys/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [What is happening here is we are living past the age, by the millions, living past the age where cultural values make any sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-is-happening-here-is-we-are-living-past-the-age-by-the-millions/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [What history is, essentially, is a careening, out-of-control effort to find our way back to this state of primordial balance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-history-is-essentially-is-a-careening-out-of-control-effort-to/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [And what is the primary datum? It's the felt presence of immediate experience. In other words, being here now is the primary datum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/and-what-is-the-primary-datum-it-s-the-felt-presence-of-immediate/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Our culture difinitely takes an egocentric dominator view. The fear of the psychedelic experience is quite literally the fear of losing control. Dominator types…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/our-culture-difinitely-takes-an-egocentric-dominator-view-the-fear-of/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Every step into freedom contains within it the potential for greater bondage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/every-step-into-freedom-contains-within-it-the-potential-for-greater/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [This is the message of your life and my life - it’s that nothing lasts. Heraclitus said it: Panta Rhei. All flows, nothing lasts.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/this-is-the-message-of-your-life-and-my-life-it-s-that-nothing-lasts/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [I often like to think that our map of the world is wrong, that where we have centered physics, we should actually place literature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/i-often-like-to-think-that-our-map-of-the-world-is-wrong-that-where/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Knowledge, or verbal facility, is no proof that you know what you're talking about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/knowledge-or-verbal-facility-is-no-proof-that-you-know-what-you-re/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [No culture on earth is as heavily narcotized as the industrial West in terms of being inured to the consequences of maladaptive behavior. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/no-culture-on-earth-is-as-heavily-narcotized-as-the-industrial-west/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Man was not put on this planet to toil in the mud. Or the god who put us on this planet to toil in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/man-was-not-put-on-this-planet-to-toil-in-the-mud-or-the-god-who-put/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [If you take psychedelics and the Internet and music and put all of that together you have the basis for a new community that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/if-you-take-psychedelics-and-the-internet-and-music-and-put-all-of/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) [Explore all 745 Terence McKenna quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) [Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What's popularly known as the evolution of consciousness, in other words that the expansion of cognitive repertoire that occurs in human beings, which has always been a great puzzle to evolutionary theory, I believe, occurred in the presence of a kind of catalyst for the human imagination.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Terence McKenna" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-s-popularly-known-as-the-evolution-of-consciousness-in-other/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-s-popularly-known-as-the-evolution-of-consciousness-in-other/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23b/terence-mckenna-287_believe_what-s-popularly-known-as-the-evolution_2654856.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23b/terence-mckenna-287_believe_what-s-popularly-known-as-the-evolution_2654856.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23b/terence-mckenna-287_believe_what-s-popularly-known-as-the-evolution_2654856.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What's popularly known as the evolution of consciousness, in other words that the expansion of cognitive…” — Terence McKenna", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Terence McKenna", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "What's popularly known as the evolution...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-s-popularly-known-as-the-evolution-of-consciousness-in-other/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-s-popularly-known-as-the-evolution-of-consciousness-in-other/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```