Psychedelics in Society and Culture: A Conversation with Michael Pollan

How can psychedelics shed new light on age-old questions about human meaning, creativity, and existence? What are their implications for experiences of spiritual transcendence, our relationship with death, and the nature of consciousness? How does our understanding of psychedelics benefit not only from clinical investigations but also humanistic inquiry?
About the Speaker:
This conversation features Michael Pollan. A leading voice on topics related to nature and the food system, he turned his attention to altered states of consciousness in two bestselling and seminal books: How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence (2018) and This is Your Mind on Plants (2021). He is a Professor of the Practice (Non-Fiction) in Harvard’s Creative Writing Program and the Lewis K. Chan Arts Lecturer at the University.
About the Study of Psychedelics in Society and Culture:
Harvard will create a Study of Psychedelics in Society and Culture with a gift from the Gracias Family Foundation. The study, an interdisciplinary effort across the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard Law School, and Harvard Divinity School, seeks to transform the psychedelics research landscape by producing cutting-edge scholarship and convening faculty, students, and experts to engage in discussion around their far-reaching implications.
Convening experts for interdisciplinary conversation and debate will be key. The Mahindra Humanities Center, the Center for the Study of World Religions, and Petrie-Flom plan to host several seminars, public-facing events, and a world-class conference.
Additionally, the initiative will include collaborations with UC Berkeley's Center for the Science of Psychedelics (BCSP) and Center for Interdisciplinary Critical Inquiry (CICI).
Stay tuned for more information about upcoming events and opportunities for the Study in Psychedelics in Society and Culture at the Mahindra Humanities Center.