December 5, 2019

The ‘New Science’ Of Psychedelics – Michael Pollan on NPR’s Fresh Air Podcast

Check out the Fresh Air Episode Page

Psychedelic drugs are undergoing a surprising renaissance; they’re now being used to treat depression, addiction, and the existential fear of death faced by many people with cancer
Mental healthcare in the U.S. is broken – psychedelics may just save the day
When someone takes psilocybin, the part of the brain that’s associated with the ego temporarily shuts down
- This liberates that person from their past, allowing them to explore new perspectives.
Many people are afraid of having a “bad trip,” but bad trips can be incredibly productive if faced correctly – think of them more as “challenging trips”
Personality seldom changes once you’re over 25-years-old
- However, the personality trait of “openness” seems to increase after having a psychedelic experience, no matter your age

Psychedelic drugs are undergoing a surprising renaissance; they’re now being used to treat depression, addiction, and the existential fear of death faced by many people with cancer
Michael has always been interested in nature, specifically food and agriculture, and wanted to explore the power and science around magic mushrooms (and other psychedelics) in his book – How to Change Your Mind
- “I’ve always been curious about psychoactive plants” – Michael Pollan
“I didn’t realize, until I started working on this book, how broken mental healthcare and treatment is in this country” – Michael Pollan
- “We really haven’t had a big innovation since the late 80s”
  - Prozac and other drugs aren’t an ideal treatment for people with depression – they’re addictive and not super effective
    - “They only work a little bit better than placebos in trials”

Psilocybin, as opposed to other psychedelics, is used in medical trials for two reasons:
- The trips are shorter – they only last 5-6 hours
- It’s a lot less controversial than LSD
The process:
- When people are administered psilocybin, they have two guides with them, one male and one female. The patient then lies down on a couch while wearing eyeshades and headphones, listening to a very carefully-curated playlist.
  - All of this is done to prepare the patient for an intense inner-journey
When someone takes psilocybin, the part of the brain that’s associated with the ego temporarily shuts down. This liberates that person from their past, allowing them to explore new perspectives.
- “They begin to realize they needn’t be trapped in those stories and that they might actually be able to write some new stories about themselves” – Michael Pollan
Many people are afraid of having a “bad trip,” but bad trips can be incredibly productive if faced correctly – think of them more as “challenging trips”
- For example: If you see a monster, don’t run away! Walk up to it and ask, “What are you doing in my mind/what do you have to teach me?”

New drugs typically pass through 3 phases:
- Phase 1: A pilot study (to make sure they’re safe)
- Phase 2: A slightly bigger group study (to see if the drug is effective)
- Phase 3: A much larger trial (to check if the results from phase 2 are real)
Psilocybin studies are currently in phase 2
- In one study, they found that 80% of patients had a statistically significant reduction in standard measures of depression and anxiety
  - The FDA recently allowed psilocybin studies to move to on to phase 3

The primary use of LSD in the 1950s was to treat alcoholism
Michael views psilocybin more as a medicine than a drug
- It’s non-addictive and can even be considered anti-addictive
- Psychedelics do, however, carry psychological risks
  - Taking them definitely isn’t a good idea for people with serious mental health illnesses, such as chizophrenia or psychosis
There’s a large underground network of psychedelic guides who risk their professional and personal lives by offering to serve for those wishing to use psychedelics in a safe manner
- Michael imagines a world in the future containing mental health clubs around the world where people can use psychedelics under the supervision of a professionally trained guide
Personality seldom changes once you’re over 25-years-old
- However, the personality trait of “openness” seems to increase after having a psychedelic experience, no matter your age