How to Change Your Mind, by Michael Pollan, 4 stars.

[NancyJ]

How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence, by Michael Pollan. This is a fascinating and thorough book about psychedelic substances such a psilocybin and LSD. He gave an excellent overview of the history of practice, research, and attitudes about these substances. He reports that most people who use these drugs are filled with a sense of wonder, love and connection to the universe. Negative experiences can be eased with gentle guidance from a good therapist who can discuss the insights with the patient afterward. The military conducted research with soldiers, but they don’t need soldiers who are filled with love and empathy for the enemy. The CIA sometimes used the drugs as a weapon to destabilize a spy or enemy. Academic research on the therapeutic or spiritual benefits of psychedelics was popular in the 1960’s, until Harvard professor Timothy Leary scared parents and politicians with his advice to “turn on, tune in, and drop out.”

Academic research is now quietly resuming. Unlike opiates, these drugs are not addictive. (But that’s what pharmaceutical firms said about opiates years ago. ) These drugs may be helpful in treating addiction or depression. Pollan did the majority of his research the traditional way first, and then chose a therapist/guide to supervise his trips to get firsthand knowledge how it feels. I didn’t even smoke pot when I was in school, but after reading this book, I could be tempted to try this, with the right guide. The most powerful anecdotes in the book were about terminally ill people who found spiritual peace when these were used with a therapist.

[Nicole R]

I really want to get to this one! So many books!!!