The Stoned Ape-ostle Theory

So I have this little theory about communion. It's not something I care enough about to actully research - but I think it's fun in a 'plausible but unscientific TV plot' kind of way.

So most people are familiar with the practice of communion in the Christian church, people eat little bits of bread and wine which represent the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Growing up in churches, I always found this particularly weird: we all know there's no literal change in the 'transubstantiation', it's not an actual 'communal' meal like it's based on, and it's the only ceremony that requires a supermarket. So yeah - communion is weird, right?

Anyway, rye bread. Rye was a much more popular grain around the time of the early church, and plausibly could have been the grain of choice for bread. Unfortunately for rye fans, rye grain is commonly afflicated with a fungus called ergot. It causes ergotism when consumed. Ergotism is pretty bad - causing severe vasoconstriction, and can lead to gangrene and death.

But also: hallucinations.

As it turns out, ergot is the starting point for deriving something most people will recognise: Lysergic acid diethylamide - or LSD. So during season one of christianity there's a fungus being commonly consumed in bread, that can in some cases cause hallucinations. Sounds like that'd probably spice up the sunday sermon eh? Maybe this bread would be so special, it'd be deified as the body of God himself?

As for the blood/wine, there's evidence the Greeks (or something, I didn't research this enough) drinking mixtures of wine with similar ties to ergot - maybe another pre-modern psychedelic? Mix the two and it sounds like a pretty potent ritual though, right?

Unfortunately, the church would eventually move on from acid tapas in favour of white bread and grape juice.