New York Times Book Review 10 Best Books of 2018A 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.
