#380. Psychedelics and Meditation | Michael Pollan

Michael Pollan has done more than perhaps anybody else in recent history to change the conversation on the use of psychedelic drugs, or plant medicine. 

Michael Pollan is author of the best selling book called How to Change Your Mind and he recently followed up with another book called This is Your Mind on Plants. Pollan is also the co-founder of the University of California Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics, along with another recent podcast guest, Dacher Keltner. 

In this conversation we talk about whether psychedelics and meditation can mix and the links between psychedelics, meditation and Buddhism, the universal human drive to change consciousness, and his experiences with the three plants that he focuses on in his new book: opium, caffeine, and mescaline.

Content warning: This episode contains conversations about depression, suicidality, and psychedelic drugs. 

Steps for sending us a question:

1. Go to a quiet place and open the default voice memo recording app on your phone.
2. Hold the phone about 8-10 inches from your face, then tap “record.”
3. Tell us your name, where you’re from, and what your question is. Try to keep it to about a minute or so.
4. Stop the recording, then check it to make sure it sounds clear.
5. Email it to us at: listener@tenpercent.com by September 27, 2021.

Where to find Michael Pollan online: 

Website: https://michaelpollan.com/

Social Media:

• Twitter: @michaelpollan
• Facebook 
• Instagram @michael.pollan

Books Mentioned:

• This Is Your Mind on Plants
• How to Change Your Mind

Other Resources Mentioned:

• Jack Kornfield
• Joan Halifax
• John Kabat-Zinn
• Richard Alpert
• Judd Brewer
• Robin Carhart Harris 
• Timothy Leary

Additional Resources:

• Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live
• Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide
• Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care