The science of psychedelics – with Michael Pollan

Is there a role for psychedelics such as LSD and psilocybin in healthcare, and can they uncover things about our consciousness?

Michael’s book “How to Change Your Mind” is available now!

How could LSD and psilocybin help with mental health, palliative care and addictive behaviours? What was the point of a psilocybin mushroom evolving the way that it did? Michael Pollan explores the “second wave” of international research and discusses what psychedelic drugs may teach us about the mind, human consciousness and their potential effect on our future lives.

Watch the Q&A: https://youtu.be/JUAa14kQpmQ

Michael Pollan is a bestselling author of books on human nature and nutrition, famously the ‘Omnvivore’s Dilemma’. In mid-life, he turned his attention to one of the most intriguing stories of the 20th century; the scientific promise and cultural burial of psychedelic research and its renaissance today in the public conversation around mental health, palliative care, addictive behaviours and a loss of personal meaning and connection in modern societies. This talk and Q&A session was filmed in the Ri on 11 June 2018.

Original Video from The Royal Institution on Youtube