In this book Michael Pollan explores the ‘new science of psychedelics’ and about how this research could be beneficial for a variety of medical fields. He also takes a variety of psychedelics for recreational use and recounts his experience. The book examines themes of consciousness, dying, addiction, depression and transcendence.

I really enjoyed this book, it’s an interesting perspective from a well-respected author and the book really put a spotlight on the beneficial side to a lot of these misunderstood substances. The history of how these substances came to be so vilified is interesting and the research concerning treatments for depression and other mental illnesses seem promising. It’s also quite entertaining reading about his recent experiences on a variety of psychedelics. Pollan makes a good case for the potential of these drugs to revolutionise fields such as mental health and neuroscience.

It’s nice to see a resurgence in research around psychedelics and this book has helped push this resurgence into the public domain. There’s been decades of lost research so you would hope the same mistake wouldn’t be made twice. There’s a lot covered in this book, so I’d recommend it even if you don’t have an interest in psychedelics. It’s a fascinating read and may even open your mind a little bit.