lintylinden 's review for:

How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan

5.0

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This book was awesome! It was as inspiring and engaging as it was informative, and, even for someone with an above-average knowledge of psychedelics, it was very informative! I believe strongly in the therapeutic power of psychedelics, both in medical terms and in "recreational" (in the literal sense, as in re-creation) terms, and it was fascinating to learn more about the neuroscience and history and research behind these things. My personal hope is that "the medicalization of psychedelics" leads to something similar to (but not as prolific as) what marijuana has gone through, being recognized as medically valuable and then recognized as recreationally valuable. I would like to see psychedelic therapies in use, and I would like to see honest education on the value and risks of psychedelics and their safe and responsible use and integration, and I would like to see them legal and available (if not quite easy to attain) for, as this book puts it, "the betterment of well people." I think a safe and well-guided trip (after experience one can guide their own trips, but for beginners it's better to have a knowledgeable guide) is something almost everyone can benefit enormously from at least once in their lives. I don't think that is a radical opinion. This book gave me a lot to chew on, a lot to look forward to, a lot of background knowledge, and it was a fun ride to boot! I particularly appreciated Pollan's semi-skeptic approach, because so much literature about psychedelics is ensconced in an excess of exuberance, but Pollan did a good job of keeping perspective throughout. I think it's a very valuable comprehensive look at the past, present, and future of psychedelics, and I think it's very valuable to have specifically someone with a reputation like Pollan's write this book. I really highly, highly, highly recommend reading this, especially but not exclusively if you're interested in mental health care or psychedelics or experiencing the world differently.