Replay Matinee: Michael Pollan

LSD and psilocybin (the active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms) have shown significant promise as tools to provide relief to people suffering from difficult-to-treat conditions such as depression, addiction, and anxiety. But, according to bestselling writer Michael Pollan, 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. Now Pollan—author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma—joins us to reveal firsthand insight on the landscape of the mind with wisdom from his new book How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence.

He shares his singular adventure into the experience of various altered states of consciousness, with a deep dive into the latest brain science and the thriving underground community of psychedelic therapists. Pollan meets with drug researcher and community engagement worker Ingrid Walker to sift the historical record and separate the truth about these mysterious drugs from the myths that have surrounded them since the 1960s. Together Pollan and Walker outline a history of the handful of psychedelic evangelists who catalyzed a powerful backlash against what was then a promising field of research. Join Pollan and Walker for a conversation on the science and psychology of the psychedelic. Engage with the puzzle of human consciousness and explore 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.

Presented by Town Hall Seattle.