Michael Pollan, author of "This is Your Mind on Plants," answers questions about psychedelics on Twitter. He explains that LSD works by fitting into serotonin receptors in the brain, which can lead to altered perception and consciousness. Pollan addresses concerns about psychedelics triggering psychotic breaks or rewriting the brain, noting such events are rare. He offers advice for avoiding bad trips, emphasizing the importance of guided experiences. The concept of 'ego death' is discussed, where individuals feel their sense of self dissolve during a high dose of psychedelics, potentially leading to ecstatic feelings. Pollan also touches on microdosing, DMT's geometric hallucinations, and psychedelics' potential in treating addiction, anxiety, and aiding terminal patients in confronting mortality. He highlights the legal barriers to psychedelic research and the shift in societal perception towards these substances as potential tools for healing mental health issues. Pollan cautions that despite promising research, psychedelics remain illegal and pose risks to mental health.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. LSD is a molecule that is shaped like serotonin, a neurotransmitter involved with mood and other things.
2. LSD fits into serotonin receptors in the brain more tightly than serotonin itself.
3. LSD is an agonist, meaning it makes the receptor do something rather than inhibit it.
4. The brain's response to LSD is not fully understood.
5. Research trials have shown that psychedelics can help with addiction, anxiety, and depression.
6. Psilocybin, a psychedelic compound, has been shown to help people break addictions to alcohol, cigarettes, and cocaine.
7. In some cases, psychedelics can trigger psychotic breaks, especially in people with a history of schizophrenia.
8. Peyote, a psychedelic cactus, is used by Native Americans in their religious and healing ceremonies.
9. Mescaline, the active ingredient in peyote, is a powerful psychedelic that lasts for 14 hours.
10. Albert Hoffman, a chemist in Switzerland, discovered LSD in 1938 while working with a fungus called ergot.
11. Hoffman accidentally ingested a small amount of LSD and felt its effects, leading him to take a bigger dose and experience its full effects.
12. Cary Grant, the actor, received psychedelic therapy in the late 1950s and claimed it was "absolutely liberating."
13. The FDA and DEA have approved university research trials for psychedelics, but federal funding is still limited due to controversy.
14. Private philanthropy has funded most of the research on psychedelics, but the NIH is starting to show interest.
15. Psilocybin is being studied as a treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorders, and the NIH has granted funding for this research.
16. Psychedelics were regarded as disruptive to society in the 1960s, but their identity is changing as they are being studied for their potential therapeutic benefits.
17. One in five Americans have struggled with their mental health, and psychedelics may be seen as important tools for healing in the future.
Note: Some of the facts may be mentioned multiple times in the text, but I've only listed each fact once in the above list.