What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence
paperback, 480 pages
Published May 14, 2019 by Penguin Books.
When Michael Pollan set out to research how LSD and psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) are being used to provide relief to people suffering from difficult-to-treat conditions such as depression, addiction and anxiety, he did not intend to write what is undoubtedly his most personal book. But upon discovering how these remarkable substances are improving the lives not only of the mentally ill but also of healthy people coming to grips with the challenges of everyday life, he decided to explore the landscape of the mind in the first person as well as the third. Thus began a singular adventure into various altered states of consciousness, along with a dive deep into both the latest brain science and the thriving underground community of psychedelic therapists. Pollan sifts the historical record to separate the truth about these mysterious drugs from the myths that have surrounded them since the 1960s, …
When Michael Pollan set out to research how LSD and psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) are being used to provide relief to people suffering from difficult-to-treat conditions such as depression, addiction and anxiety, he did not intend to write what is undoubtedly his most personal book. But upon discovering how these remarkable substances are improving the lives not only of the mentally ill but also of healthy people coming to grips with the challenges of everyday life, he decided to explore the landscape of the mind in the first person as well as the third. Thus began a singular adventure into various altered states of consciousness, along with a dive deep into both the latest brain science and the thriving underground community of psychedelic therapists. Pollan sifts the historical record to separate the truth about these mysterious drugs from the myths that have surrounded them since the 1960s, when a handful of psychedelic evangelists inadvertently catalyzed a powerful backlash against what was then a promising field of research.
This is a very interesting book, though perhaps a bit too verbose in places. I could easily have skipped the whole history of psychelics, as I was primarily interested in the neurological and psychological aspects.
How can you write about psychedelics without having experienced them? You’d run the risk of coming off dry, clinical, and, not fully understanding them, as not really credible. But then again, how can you write about them after having tried? There’s no language, no way to communicate the experience to those on the other shore. Fortunately, Michael Pollan is up to the task, or at least I think so—I can’t be sure, because I’m on the same shore he’s on, and his book makes perfect sense to the me of today but I can never know if it would’ve to the pre-psilocybin me of ten years ago. His reporting—the majority of the book—is certainly objective and accurate. His personal experiences ring true, but I’m extremely eager to know if they make sense to someone on the not-yet side of psychedelics. If you are such, and you read this, would you …
How can you write about psychedelics without having experienced them? You’d run the risk of coming off dry, clinical, and, not fully understanding them, as not really credible. But then again, how can you write about them after having tried? There’s no language, no way to communicate the experience to those on the other shore. Fortunately, Michael Pollan is up to the task, or at least I think so—I can’t be sure, because I’m on the same shore he’s on, and his book makes perfect sense to the me of today but I can never know if it would’ve to the pre-psilocybin me of ten years ago. His reporting—the majority of the book—is certainly objective and accurate. His personal experiences ring true, but I’m extremely eager to know if they make sense to someone on the not-yet side of psychedelics. If you are such, and you read this, would you let me know?
Anyhow, I’ve been struggling to review this book and am giving up. There’s no point. If you’re a Michael Pollan fan (which you should be!) you’re probably going to read this. If you’re curious about the state of the art in psychedelic-assisted therapy research, you’re going to read this. If you’re a policymaker, not that I know any of those, you should almost certainly read this because it’s informative while also refraining from the (dangerous) exuberance that can follow discovery: Pollan’s tone is enthusiastic but guardedly so, nobody wants another situation like the 70s. What can I add to the conversation? Go read it.
