Voices Of Esalen

Michael Pollan's keynote address from the Psychedelic Integration Conference at Esalen Institute, 2019, is part two of a seven-part series drawn from the week's lectures. Pollan is the author of six New York Times bestsellers: "Cooked," "Food Rules; In Defense of Food"; "The Omnivore’s Dilemma," "The Botany of Desire," and now “How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence,” a masterful book written by one of the leading immersive journalists of our time. Historically, the field of psychedelics is controversial, and controversy naturally arouses a certain degree of suspicion and distrust, particularly for the uninitiated. But when Michael Pollan talks, people listen. And that’s because he consistently brings a beginner’s mind, armed with a healthy dose of skepticism, to the table. His speech at Esalen was much like his writing- articulate, lucid, and underscored by a palpable desire to effect positive change. A q