Summary of Michael Pollan's How to Change Your Mind

By IRB Media

Get the Summary of Michael Pollan's How to Change Your Mind in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book.Original book introduction: 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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Feb 4, 2021
• ISBN: 9781638152873

IRB Media

With IRB books, you can get the key takeaways and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.

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Summary

of

Michael Pollan’s

How to Change Your Mind

What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence

Table of Contents

Overview

Key Insights

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Key Insight 5

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Key Insight 7

Key Insight 8

Important People

Author’s Style

Author’s Perspective

Overview

In How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence (2018) Michael Pollan explores the benefits that psychedelics can provide, both for those suffering from mental illness and for those trying to cultivate new perspectives and habits. Before these drugs were prohibited, there was an extensive history of research into their effects in North America and Europe, and studies that utilize lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and magic mushrooms continue today. By ingesting a psychedelic drug under the care of an experienced guide or therapist, patients can undergo a mystical experience that helps them confront existential fear and improves their ability to connect with others. Such drugs have the potential to improve quality of life by showing users a different way to navigate emotions and surmount challenges.

Despite their notoriety