How to Change Your Mind Book Summary

Book Summary

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Brief Summary

Psychedelics have been vilified since the drug crackdown in the 1970s associated the drugs with counterculture and rebellion. Psychedelics were made illegal and are still classified as Schedule 1 drugs, despite no solid evidence showing they are addictive or lethal. However, studies have shown that psychedelic drugs like LSD and psilocin and psilocybin may have great potential to help treat mental illnesses like depression, anxiety, and even addiction. They do this by interrupting negative thought cycles, dissolving the ego, and encouraging a sense of interconnectedness and a greater understanding of simple, profound truths. However, the user’s experience on psychedelic drugs relies heavily on the set and setting where the trip takes place. Some of the same benefits of psychedelics can be experienced even without the use of drugs, through using mindfulness techniques like breathing exercises, mantras, religious practices, and meditation.

About the Author

Michael Pollan is an American journalist, activist, and author of eight books, four of them bestsellers. He is a journalism professor at UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and the Lewis K. Chan Arts Lecturer and Professor of Practice of Non-Fiction at Harvard University. He is also a contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine, and the former executive editor for Harper's Magazine.

Pollan is the recipient of the Washburn Award from the Boston Museum of Science and the James Beard Leadership award. He was educated at Bennington College and Oxford University, and received his master’s degree from Columbia University.

Pollan lives in the Bay Area with his wife, the painter Judith Belzer.

Topics

Science Psychology

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Key Insights

The use of psychedelic drugs can have a positive effect on mental health. Many studies have shown that the use of LSD and magic mushrooms can help patients undergo a mystical experience that can break negative thought cycles, reduce depression and anxiety, and increase the quality of life.

Casual use of psychedelics did not become common in the United States until the 1960s. However, many therapists in North America employed the use of psychedelic therapy in the 1950s, and they believed these drugs had the potential to treat or cure many mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety, and even alcoholism. However, in the 1960s, psychedelic drugs became associated with the counterculture movement in the public consciousness, which led to a drug crackdown on a federal level in the 1970s. LSD and magic mushrooms were made illegal, and all research on their potential health and therapeutic benefits were forced to stop.

In recent years, the scientific community has seen an increased interest in the therapeutic potential of these drugs. Starting around the mid-2000s, a small number of scientific studies using these drugs have been approved. These initial studies have yielded promising results regarding patients’ improved ability to cope with depression, addiction, and even a terminal cancer diagnosis. This has led to a slight shift in public perception regarding psychedelic drugs. However, while these initial results seem promising, there is still much that needs to be understood about how psychedelics affect the brain.

Set and Setting

Psychedelic drugs are influenced by two important factors: set and setting. Hallucinogens amplify both the atmosphere of the environment where one is taking them, and the current mental state of the drug user. Therefore, bad trips are more likely to happen when the user is in a bad environment or in a negative state of mind. The probability of experiencing a good trip is increased with the aid of a guide or psychedelic therapists. They have experience with the drugs, and can help guide users to a positive experience in a controlled setting. Psychedelic therapists encourage users to have a good trip by setting an intention and ensuring they are in a safe, positive environment before consuming the drug.

Another drug that relies on set and setting is marajuana. Pollen believes that the marajuana’s reputation as a paranoia-inducing drug comes largely from its illegality. Marajuana users will be more paranoid when using it in a place where it is illegal, because of the potential legal risk. Paranoia is not necessarily a side-effect of the drug itself, but rather of the setting in which it is used.

Drug Classifications

LSD, along with psilocin and psilocybin, the active ingredients found in psychedelic mushrooms, are not addictive. To the contrary, users will become immune to the drugs’ effects if they are used too frequently. In fact, psilocybin mushrooms are organic and can naturally be found in the wild. These wild mushrooms have been used by humans and possibly even animals for transformative mystical experiences well before they entered the cultural consciousness. Synthetic psilocybin was not made...