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

How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics teaches us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence 
Michael Pollan
Penguin Press, 2018. 465 pages.

You have probably heard of Michael Pollan, or more likely one of his many best-selling works on food—Cooked, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, The Botany of Desire, etc. Pollan’s latest book comes out of left field with a somewhat plant related topic—psychedelics. In this book, Pollan makes a compelling case for “psychedelic assisted therapy,” claiming that these drugs can be used to treat depression, anxiety, addictions, and a variety of other mental disorders. Pollan discusses the history of psychedelics, describes underlying commonalities in experiences, and explains the neuroscience of how these drugs affect the brain.

As a Michael Pollan fan, I was surprised and delighted when I heard about this book. The history of psychedelic research is fascinating by itself, but Pollan also delves deeply into current research that is a far-cry from the tie-dye/Burning Man version of psychedelics that you might expect. Pollan is a polished and compelling author, and this controversial subject matter makes this book hard to put down. I am definitely interested in the future of this research and to see what psychedelic therapy has in store for the future.

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