'A World Appears' by Michael Pollan: Brunch Discussion

Monthly potluck dinner at Vaidehi's home. Please bring something to share.

This week, we will be discussing the hot new book:

## A World Appears

(New) Book by Michael Pollan

> When it comes to the phenomenon that is consciousness, there is one point on which scientists, philosophers, and artists all agree: that it feels like something to be us. Yet the fact we have subjective experience of the world remains one of nature’s greatest mysteries. How is it that our mental operations are accompanied by feelings, thoughts, and a sense of self? What would a scientific investigation of our inner life look like, considering we have as little distance and perspective on it as fish do of the sea? In A World Appears, Michael Pollan traces the unmapped continent that is consciousness, bringing radically different perspectives—scientific, philosophical, literary, spiritual and psychedelic—to see what each can teach us about this central fact of life.
> When neuroscientists began studying consciousness in the early 1990s, they sought to explain how and why three pounds of spongy grey matter could generate a subjective point of view—assuming that the brain is the source of our felt reality. Pollan takes us to the cutting edge of the field, where scientists are entertaining more radical (and less materialist) theories of consciousness. He introduces us to “plant neurobiologists” searching for the first flicker of consciousness in plants; scientists striving to engineer feelings into AI, and psychologists and novelists seeking to capture the felt experience of our slippery stream of consciousness.
> In Pollan’s dazzling exploration of consciousness, he discovers a world far deeper and stranger than our everyday reality. Eye-opening and mind-expanding, A World Appears takes us into the laboratories of our own minds, ultimately showing us how we might make better use of the gift of awareness to more meaningfully connect with our deepest selves.

Michael Pollan is one of the most influential voices at the intersection of nature, culture, and the human mind. A prolific author and UC Berkeley professor, Pollan is renowned for transforming how we think about the world on our plates and the consciousness within our heads.
From his groundbreaking critique of industrial food in The Omnivore’s Dilemma to his deep dive into the therapeutic potential of psychedelics in How to Change Your Mind, Pollan blends rigorous journalism with personal memoir. Whether he’s advocating for "mostly plants" or investigating the mysteries of plant intelligence, his writing challenges us to rethink our relationship with the natural world.

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-Please arrive at 1:00 PM (or later, but just know that during the time we are meditating, I won't be able to let you in until it's over. It will last about 10 minutes)
-Location: 1925 Monroe Dr NE, Atlanta, GA 30324 (once you register, more details will be shared, as this is a private residence)
-Parking: free, send Vaidehi a DM with your license plate to register for the attached garage

If you’d like more information, feel free to email Vaidehi at vaidehibjoshi@gmail.com.