About Andrew Cutler

Who I Am#

I’m Andrew Cutler, an engineer turned interdisciplinary researcher obsessed with understanding how humans became conscious. My academic roots are in machine learning, psychometrics, and natural language processing, where I specialized in uncovering hidden structures within human cognition and behavior. Using computational techniques, I re-derived the foundational Big Five personality traits from linguistic data, exposing deeper patterns of human prosociality and orientation towards others.

This initial research sparked a broader curiosity: when and how did humans first achieve recursive self-awareness—the distinct capacity to think, “I am”? Answering this question has pulled me far beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries, leading me into comparative mythology, population genetics, cognitive archaeology, and psychopharmacology.

My Research Journey#

My career spans academia and industry, from theoretical research on personality structure to practical NLP systems designed to parse and generate human language. In bridging computational models with psychological theory, I consistently encountered questions that standard paradigms couldn’t answer—especially around the evolution of human cognition and symbolic thought.

The statistical patterns I uncovered, particularly the General Factor of Personality, hinted at a universal, evolutionarily recent selection event. But contemporary psychology offered no satisfactory evolutionary narrative. This pushed me toward synthesizing insights from archaeology, linguistics, mythology, and genetics to propose a coherent story about the origins of human consciousness.

The Eve Theory of Consciousness & The Snake Cult#

My current work centers on the Eve Theory of Consciousness (EToC) and the complementary Snake Cult hypothesis. Together, these ideas form a radical yet evidence-based account of how self-awareness emerged as a culturally and genetically propagated innovation around 50,000 years ago—resolving the long-standing Sapient Paradox (the gap between anatomical and behavioral modernity).

Core propositions of this theory include:

Women as cognitive pioneers: Evolutionary pressures uniquely positioned women to develop advanced Theory of Mind capabilities first, creating conditions favorable for recursive thought.
Psychoactive catalysts: Early human societies may have leveraged psychoactive substances, particularly snake venom rich in nerve growth factor (NGF), to facilitate recursive cognitive states during rituals.
Global serpent symbolism: Serpentine motifs universally appear in creation myths (Genesis, Quetzalcoatl, the Rainbow Serpent), always tied to knowledge, duality, and the emergence of self-awareness, suggesting these myths encode cultural memories of consciousness evolution.
Explaining the Sapient Paradox: The spread of recursive consciousness through ritual practices offers a compelling explanation for why sophisticated symbolic behavior emerged long after anatomically modern humans.

This interdisciplinary synthesis draws from:

Evolutionary Psychology and Genetics: Identifying genetic selection events correlated with cognitive recursion and Theory of Mind.
Comparative Mythology and Religious Studies: Analyzing consistent serpent symbolism across diverse cultural creation narratives.
Linguistic Anthropology: Tracing linguistic markers, such as the first-person pronouns and recursive grammatical structures.
Cognitive Archaeology: Interpreting ritual artifacts, notably bullroarers and serpent imagery, as remnants of consciousness-facilitating practices.
Psychopharmacology and Altered States: Examining the neurochemical effects of entheogens, particularly snake venom, in early cognitive rituals.

Why This Work Matters#

If correct, the EToC and Snake Cult hypotheses fundamentally reshape our understanding of:

Human Consciousness: Consciousness is neither ancient nor biologically inevitable; it’s a recent evolutionary innovation still under active development.
Religion and Mythology: Creation myths may contain authentic historical records of cognitive milestones rather than mere symbolic narratives.
Gender Dynamics: Women’s cognitive advancements played a decisive role in shaping early human cultural frameworks.
Mental Health: Disorders such as schizophrenia could reflect evolutionary trade-offs linked to our recent cognitive transformation.

Crucially, this research positions humanity’s spiritual impulse not as something contrary to biology, but deeply rooted within it. Our consciousness—and our persistent drive to understand it—are both evolutionary innovations.

About Snakecult.net#

Snakecult.net serves as an experimental research hub, archiving primary sources, evidence-based analyses, and interdisciplinary explorations supporting the Eve Theory and Snake Cult hypothesis. Designed explicitly for researchers—both human and artificial—this platform systematically organizes complex data to reveal patterns and insights otherwise obscured by traditional disciplinary silos. Snakecult.net aims to provoke deeper inquiry into human cognitive origins, enabling breakthroughs at the intersection of science, myth, and philosophy.

Beyond the Research#

Outside of academia, I’m committed to making cutting-edge interdisciplinary insights accessible. My blog, Vectors of Mind, translates complex research into engaging narratives that resonate with both specialized audiences and intellectually curious readers alike. My personal exploration of altered states—through meditation, breathwork, and other consciousness-expanding practices—fuels my appreciation for the experiential dimensions of human self-awareness.

Connect With Me#

I value conversations and collaborations across disciplines. Whether my ideas resonate, challenge your thinking, or spark curiosity, I’d love to connect and explore possibilities together.