
December 5, 2019
The ‘New Science’ Of Psychedelics – Michael Pollan on NPR’s Fresh Air Podcast
Check out the Fresh Air Episode Page
Key Takeaways
- 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
Intro
- Host – Terry Gross (@nprfreshair)
- Michael Pollan (@michaelpollan) is the author of quite a few books:
- For more Michael, check out these Podcast Notes:
The Inspiration Behind How to Change Your Mind
- 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”
- Prozac and other drugs aren’t an ideal treatment for people with depression – they’re addictive and not super effective
- “We really haven’t had a big innovation since the late 80s”
How Psilocybin is Administered in Medical 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 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.
- 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?”
Psilocybin Studies
- 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
- In one study, they found that 80% of patients had a statistically significant reduction in standard measures of depression and anxiety
Additional Notes
- 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