On Psychedelics
Drugs, substance abuse, meth, Pink Floyd and Breaking Bad. These were the words that came to my mind when hearing of the word, psychedelics. But this took a completely different turn after I read the book, “How to change your mind”, written by Michael Pollan.
The title may sound cheesy, but believe me, this is one of the best books of this year.
Michael is an excellent writer, whose books and Netflix show about food are best sellers and super hits. He examines from a fresh perspective on the mind altering substances like LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, ayahuasca and few others.
It turns out that unlike other addictive drugs like cocaine, meth, the psilocybin mushrooms and LSD can be of help to a huge segment of people. If used by a trained psychedelic expert, this can really work wonders.
He emphasises on two primary factors in experimenting with this: Set and Settings. Set - refers to the quantity of the substance like a mushroom or LSD. Setting -refers to the environment, mindset with which you are primed and prepared for the session.
Both these factors are primarily important as you can undergo a profound change in the beliefs and world views. For people with mental health issues, it can be a catalyst in recovery. For people with fine mental state, it defragments your brain. You many experience an ego death, a profound moment or come closer to your own self because of this experience.
From Silicon Valley pioneer like Doug Engelbart to best selling science writer like Carlo Rovelli have benefitted out of this experience.
My own challenge for 2019 will be explore more, get in touch with a compatible guide and undergo a psychedelic session. Wish me luck.