A brilliant and brave investigation by Michael Pollan, author of five New York Times best sellers, into the medical and scientific revolution taking place around psychedelic drugs--and the spellbinding story of his own life-changing psychedelic experiences.
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 the experience of various altered states of consciousness, along with a …
A brilliant and brave investigation by Michael Pollan, author of five New York Times best sellers, into the medical and scientific revolution taking place around psychedelic drugs--and the spellbinding story of his own life-changing psychedelic experiences.
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 the experience of 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 catalyzed a powerful backlash against what was then a promising field of research.
A unique and elegant blend of science, memoir, travel writing, history, and medicine, How to Change Your Mind is a triumph of participatory journalism. By turns dazzling and edifying, it is the gripping account of a journey to an exciting and unexpected new frontier in our understanding of the mind, the self, and our place in the world. The true subject of Pollan's "mental travelogue" is not just psychedelic drugs but also the eternal puzzle of human consciousness and how, in a world that offers us both struggle and beauty, we can do our best to be fully present and find meaning in our lives
Rather more history than I wanted, but once I got past that mammoth first section it was okay. His follow-up book, This Is Your Mind on Plants, is an easier read.
Interesting topic. But nothing more uninteresting than hearing people describe their trips, especially if you haven't experienced any, I would imagine. Subjective experiences of people manipulating their brain into different states. Sometimes pages upon pages of wondering what the hallucinated plant creature tried to tell him during a trip. I couldn't care less. It took me half a year to get through this book. Not worth the effort.
Why I Picked It Up ##
This was another impulse grab. It was available, and I remember liking Omnivore's Dilemma. I didn't even read the subtitle or synopsis, so I thought it would be some pop psychology or something. Suprise! LSD.
## What I Liked About It ##
First of all, audiobooks read by the author are usually far inferior to those read by a professional voice actor. But Pollan reads like a pro!
Now, the research and history was really interesting. Like how a lot of Silicon Valley got started on LSD.
## What I want To Remember ##
Although psychedelics seem to deliver whatever kind of trip you expect them to, the overwhelming majority of experiences seem to resolve into the profound and mundane insight that love is all that matters. I laughed out loud at the end of the book when one subject mid-trip sat upright and …
The Case For Middle-Aged Reliable Mystical Experiences for Modern Materialists. A nice update to the trip report genre with just enough archival research, interviews with researchers and neuroscientists, but mostly Pollan recounting his adult interrogation of self and mystery via LSD and mushrooms. We could all use a regular letting down of our ego guarded routine to feel more connected to the unexpected and natural world, here's one route there.
