Three reasons to take a trip with Michael Pollan

Renowned author Michael Pollan will visit campus to deliver a public talk on Thursday, Feb. 21. His latest work, "How to Change Your Mind," explores the science of psychedelics, details their potential benefits as medical treatments, and delves into the author's experiences as he explores their effects firsthand.

The event, part of the Science Matters lecture series, will take place in Graham Chapel. The public talk will begin at 5:30 p.m., with doors opening at 4:30 p.m. A reception and book signing will follow. Please note that public seating will be limited.

Before his work on psychedelics, Pollan was best known for examining how food impacts people, environments, and societies — particularly in terms of what we choose to eat and where we get our food. We asked three Arts & Sciences faculty members to explain how Pollan's work relates to their fields and why they find it thought-provoking.

 

Todd Braver with students

"With this book, Pollan did what many scientists themselves can't: He explores psychedelic drug use from not only a historical, clinical perspective, but also from a first-person point of view. In my opinion, this was a pretty brave move, but in sharing his own experience in a very straightforward manner, I think he helped move the needle in destigmatizing what such experiences can be like. I don't know if a scientist could have gotten away with the same kinds of exposure, in the same style of story. Probably the most important contribution Pollan makes with this book is in highlighting the negative consequences of the political controversies that surround this field, most critically in hampering our ability to advance scientific understanding regarding the brain basis of psychedelic drug action. The only way that we we will be able to make real scientific progress is to have a non-hyperbolic, rational policy that recognizes the strong positives and potential negatives. As a cognitive neuroscientist, I'm very interested in how states of consciousness emerge from changes in brain activity. In our research, we are starting to examine this question by looking at brain activation under mindfulness meditation. The experiences Pollan describes in using drugs under controlled, scientific study could be a whole new route to acquire knowledge of this type. There is a strong potential here for books like Pollan’s to create big changes in how both scientific investigations and public policy discussions are shaped."

— Todd Braver, professor of psychological and brain sciences 

 

Scott Krummenacher

"Michael Pollan has helped shape the way a generation of researchers, advocates, policy-makers, and the public think about their food and its connection to the environment. Few have done more to chronicle the problems in the current food system and the local movements challenging it. Pollan’s latest work again pushes into new frontiers, offering a bold exploration of the taboo world of psychedelics with a grounded view of the science and the need for a rational approach to policy."

— Scott Krummenacher, lecturer in environmental studies

 

 

David Fike

"Pollan's work emphasizes the many important ways that humans interact with the natural environment. Ecosystem health and human health are inextricably linked perhaps most obviously through the food we eat, but in other important ways as well, such as through air, water, and soil quality." 

— David Fike, director of environmental studies and professor of Earth and planetary sciences

 

For information on the event, please visit the Assembly Series website