“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 New York Times
Notable Book • Author of the highly anticipated forthcoming book A World Appears 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.
