How to Change Your Mind : What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence

\*\*Now on Netflix as a 4-part documentary series! “Pollan keeps you turning the pages . . . cleareyed and assured.” —**New York Times** A #1 **New York Times** Bestseller, **New York Times Book Review** 10 Best Books of 2018, and **New York Times** Notable Book A brilliant and brave investigation 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 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. 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 suffering and joy, we can do our best to be fully present and find meaning in our lives. 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-- Prologue: A New Door -- A Renaissance -- Natural History : Bemushroomed ; Coda -- History : The First Wave. The Promise ; The Crack-up ; Coda -- Travelogue : Journeying Underground. Trip One : Lsd ; Trip Two : Psilocybin ; Trip Three : 5-meo-dmt (or, The Toad) -- The Neuroscience : Your Brain On Psychedelics -- The Trip Treatment : Psychedelics In Psychotherapy. One : Dying ; Two : Addiction ; Three : Depression ; Coda : Going To Meet My Default Mode Network -- Epilogue: In Praise Of Neural Diversity. Michael Pollan. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 439-446) And Index. Pollan keeps you turning the pages . . . cleareyed and assured. New York Times A #1#160; New York Times #160;Bestseller, New York Times Book Review #160;10 Best Books of 2018, and #160;New York Times Notable Book#160; A brilliant and brave investigation#160;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 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. 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 suffering and joy, we can do our best to be fully present and find meaning in our lives New York Times Book Review 10 Best Books Of 2018 A New York Times Notable Book The #1 New York Times Bestseller. A Brilliant And Brave Investigation 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 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. 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 Suffering And Joy, We Can Do Our Best To Be Fully Present And Find Meaning In Our Lives. "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."-- Provided by publisher "A brilliant and brave investigation 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 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. 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 suffering and joy, we can do our best to be fully present and find meaning in our lives."--Publisher's description 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... Also by Michael Pollan 2 Title Page 3 Copyright 4 Dedication 5 Epigraph 6 Contents 7 PROLOGUE: A New Door 9 CHAPTER ONE: A Renaissance 24 CHAPTER TWO: NATURAL HISTORY 74 CHAPTER THREE: HISTORY 118 Part I: The Promise 124 Part II: The Crack-Up 156 CHAPTER FOUR: TRAVELOGUE 184 Trip One: LSD 196 Trip Two: Psilocybin 210 Trip Three: 5-MeO-DMT (or, The Toad) 224 CHAPTER FIVE: THE NEUROSCIENCE 239 CHAPTER SIX: THE TRIP TREATMENT 271 One: Dying 271 Two: Addiction 292 Three: Depression 305 EPILOGUE: In Praise of Neural Diversity 322 Glossary 336 Acknowledgments 341 Notes 344 Bibliography 352 Index 359 About the Author 392 When LSD was first discovered in the 1940s, it seemed to researchers, scientists and doctors as if the world might be on the cusp of psychological revolution. It promised to shed light on the deep mysteries of consciousness, as well as offer relief to addicts and the mentally ill. But in the 1960s, with the vicious backlash against the counter-culture, all further research was banned. In recent years, however, work has quietly begun again on the amazing potential of LSD, psilocybin and DMT. Could these drugs in fact improve the lives of many people? Diving deep into this extraordinary world and putting himself forward as a guinea-pig, Michael Pollan has written a remarkable history of psychedelics and a compelling portrait of the new generation of scientists fascinated by the implications of these drugs