While we can’t measure the precise neurochemical profiles of Paleolithic humans, we can infer some differences based on lifestyle, diet, social structures, and stressors. Modern society does appear to create conditions that alter neurochemical balances in ways that may be detrimental compared to Paleolithic ways of living.

1. Dopamine Dysregulation: Overload vs. Flow

• Modern society, with its constant stimulation (social media, advertising, processed food, instant gratification), creates an overabundance of artificial dopamine triggers. This leads to dopamine desensitization and a need for ever-stronger stimuli to feel reward.
• Paleolithic life, by contrast, would have had longer cycles of anticipation and reward, where dopamine was naturally regulated by effort-reward loops (hunting, foraging, storytelling, rituals).

2. Serotonin & Social Status: Fragmented Hierarchies vs. Close-Knit Groups

• Serotonin is deeply tied to social belonging and status. Paleolithic tribes were small, egalitarian, and communal, fostering stable serotonin levels through strong reciprocal relationships.
• Modern society fragments status hierarchies and fosters status anxiety via social media and economic precarity, which may lead to chronic serotonin dysregulation and increased depression.

3. Oxytocin & Loneliness: Intimacy vs. Alienation

• Oxytocin, the "bonding hormone," is higher in societies with physical closeness, trust, and group cohesion. Tribes likely had continuous touch, shared childcare, and high interdependence.
• Modern life is often isolated and individualistic, with less physical contact and more virtual interaction, which reduces oxytocin’s stabilizing effects on stress.

4. Cortisol & Chronic Stress: Acute Threats vs. Persistent Anxiety

• Paleolithic humans faced short bursts of intense stress (predators, hunts, conflicts) but likely had long recovery periods.
• Modern humans face chronic, low-level stress (work deadlines, financial insecurity, social comparison) that keeps cortisol elevated, contributing to anxiety, inflammation, and burnout.

5. Endorphins & Physical Activity: Natural Movement vs. Sedentarism

• Endorphins are released through physical activity and play a key role in mood regulation.
• Hunter-gatherers were highly active, walking 10-15 km/day, which naturally maintained endorphin levels.
• Modern society is sedentary, often requiring artificial exercise to compensate.

Conclusion: A Mismatch Between Neurochemistry and Environment

Modern society creates an environment where neurochemicals are often pushed into extreme or dysregulated states—overstimulated, under-rewarded, socially fragmented, and chronically stressed. While Paleolithic life was far from idyllic, its rhythms were likely more in sync with the way our neurochemical systems evolved to function.