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What advantage is there to being hallucinogenic when eaten by some or most species for survival? I can only think that perhaps it stops the organism from eating the rest of you as they are confused? Perhaps some animals seek out hallucinations thereby increasing the amount you are eaten so you can spread seeds?

I am not a biologist by any means but can understand basic biology any information would be gladly appreciated

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    $\begingroup$ Related: Why are there so many medicinal plants? $\endgroup$
    – Remi.b
    May 28, 2018 at 1:40
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    $\begingroup$ Is the hallucinogen properties of plants something that's useful to the plant, or did the particular chemicals evolve to do something else, and it's only an accident that they have that effect on human nervous systems? It seems unlikely that they would have evolved as a deterrent, since a reasonably large critter could eat a whole bunch of plants before the onset of hallucinations. $\endgroup$
    – jamesqf
    May 28, 2018 at 5:34
  • $\begingroup$ In hallucinagenic mushrooms there is psilocybin, which I can't find a reason for being created for the mushroom on an evolutionary or a reason to do with growth for the mushroom, and it has been created in mushrooms several times (in multiple different evolution chains I believe). Are all hallucinogens not understood yet like this one? $\endgroup$
    – Sonny Da Silva-Peters
    May 28, 2018 at 10:52

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