How To Change Your Mind (2018) by Michael Pollan

Greetings folks, welcome to our first Meetup event!

We'll be discussing the great Michael Pollan's How To Change Your Mind (2018). From what little psychedelic literature I've read, this is arguably the perfect place to start, whether you're a seasoned psychonaut or someone that's psychedelic-curious.

How To Change Your Mind provides an informative and engaging deep dive into psychedelics' history across various cultures, as well as here in the West, starting with psychedelics' promising beginnings in psychiatric research to their unfortunate shutdown due to political misunderstandings and propaganda.

Pollan, a widely acclaimed food researcher and writer, explores what contemporary psychiatric research is discovering about these fascinating natural substances and what they can offer humanity. How To Change Your Mind was even adapted into a Netflix docuseries, which is a fun watch, but obviously lacks the intimacy that reading an entire text provides.

I'll share some videos and other resources in the coming weeks to hopefully spark some conversation points both for all you lovely people, as well as for myself.

Taken from Pollan's website:

"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."

https://michaelpollan.com/books/how-to-change-your-mind/

I've located a PDF here:
https://www.unom.ac.in/webportal/uploads/miscelloneous/cpsychology/1.pdf

Alternatively, there are 5 copies available at the Guelph Public Library, as well as an eBook version.

We'll meet at the Red Brick Cafe in downtown Guelph for our first discussion on Saturday, June 27 at 10am.

I look forward to meeting you and exploring the wonderful world of psychedelics together :)