This week’s non-fiction read is entitled: How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence. Try saying that five times fast. I dare you.

Synopsis:

Could psychedelic drugs change our worldview? One of America’s most admired writers takes us on a mind-altering journey to the frontiers of human consciousness



When LSD was first discovered in the 1940s, it seemed to researchers, scientists and doctors as if the world might be on the cusp of psychological revolution. It promised to shed light on the deep mysteries of consciousness, as well as offer relief to addicts and the mentally ill. But in the 1960s, with the vicious backlash against the counter-culture, all further research was banned. In recent years, however, work has quietly begun again on the amazing potential of LSD, psilocybin and DMT. Could these drugs in fact improve the lives of many people? Diving deep into this extraordinary world and putting himself forward as a guinea-pig, Michael Pollan has written a remarkable history of psychedelics and a compelling portrait of the new generation of scientists fascinated by the implications of these drugs. How to Change Your Mind is a report from what could very well be the future of human consciousness.

Why I Love It:

While non-fiction isn’t my usual go-to, I do enjoy them every now and then, especially ones that deal with the brain, the psyche, and neuroplasticity. How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence is a fascinating book, though it’s quite a dense read.

I really enjoyed how comprehensive Pollan was, covering everything from the history of psychedelics in psychotherapy, to discussion of clinical trials on its efficacy in everything from treating alcoholism to reducing anxiety around death in terminal cancer patients, to Pollan’s own journey of experimentation and a new level of consciousness.

This wasn’t a one-sitting read for me. Rather, I would dive in, read a section, then need some time to absorb it before continuing along the journey, but I’m very glad I did, because it gave me a lot to think about.

The post Curl up with a good book Sunday: How to Change Your Mind appeared first on Tellulah Darling - YA romantic comedy author.