Hypoxia in Paleolithic decorated caves: the use of artificial light in deep caves reduces oxygen concentration and induces altered states of consciousness
Yafit Kedar, Gil Kedar, R. Barkai
March 31, 2021 DOI: 10.1080/1751696x.2021.1903177 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Topics | Altered states of consciousness |
| Key points | Proposes that hypoxia from torch smoke in deep caves induced altered states of consciousness, motivating their decoration and ritual use. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT In this paper, we present a novel hypothesis as to what led humans in the Upper Paleolithic to penetrate and decorate deep, dark caves. Many of the depictions in these caves are located in halls or narrow passages deep in the interior, navigable only with artificial light. We simulated the effect of torches on oxygen concentrations in structures similar to Paleolithic decorated caves and showed that the oxygen quickly decreased to levels known to induce a state of hypoxia. Hypoxia increases the release of dopamine in the brain, resulting in hallucinations and out-of-body experiences. We discuss the significance of caves in indigenous world views and contend that entering these deep, dark environments was a conscious choice, motivated by an understanding of the transformative nature of an underground, oxygen-depleted space. The cave environment was conceived as both a liminal space and an ontological arena, allowing early humans to maintain their connectedness with the cosmos. It was not the decoration that rendered the caves significant; rather, the significance of the chosen caves was the reason for their decoration.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on altered states of consciousness, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Altered States of Consciousness | 1966 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Functional neuroanatomy of altered states of consciousness: The transient hypofrontality hypothesis | 2003 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Psychedelic Mystical Experience in the Human Encounter with Death | 1969 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| A neurophenomenological approach to non-ordinary states of consciousness: hypnosis, meditation, and psychedelics | 2022 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Hypnotic phenomena and altered states of consciousness: a multilevel framework of description and explanation | 2003 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- Immersive Cave Environments in VR: A Tool for Exploring Altered States of Consciousness and Creativity in Archaeology Applied Sciences December 19, 2024
- An experimental investigation into the oxygen consumption of upper palaeolithic illumination technology: a response to Kedar, Kedar, & Barkai Time and Mind August 11, 2025
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- The Near-death Experience The British Journal of Psychiatry November 1, 1988
- Culture, Biology, and the Near-Death Experience: A Reappraisal The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease March 1, 1993
- Shamanism and Altered States of Consciousness: An Introduction Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 1989
and 4 more in the library