Why has it taken mainstream media so long to catch on to this? This has been known about for quite a few years.

Psilocybin containing mushrooms saved my life. The drastically reduced my benzodiazepine withdrawal allowing me to quite illicit pill addiction after three years of heavy daily use before it would had became medically dangerous to quit. It has also helped me survive depression.

"The thing that’s so interesting about Psilocybin and DMT is that they’re so closely related to ordinary brain chemistry. The brain chemistry of all higher animals runs largely on serotonin. Serotonin is 5-hydroxytryptamine. DMT is N,N-dimethyltryptamine. Psilocybin is 4-phosphoryloxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine, but the phosphoryloxy group goes off as it crosses the blood-brain barrier, so it’s 4-hydroxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine. So, it’s very interesting that, these powerful, naturally occurring hallucinogens are in many cases only one molecule away from endogenous neurotransmitters. So, in answer to your question, it's possible to suggest that we’re as close as one mutation away from significant shifts in the chemical mix of the human brain. And, for instance, in the pineal gland, there’s an enzyme called adrenoglomerulotropin, which is chemically, 6-methoxy-tetrohydroharmaline. It’s very closely related to the harmine alkaloids in ayahuasca. Well, the persistent myth about ayahuasca is that it creates states of group-mindedness and telepathy. The original alkaloid was actually named telepathine until it was discovered that it was structurally similar to harmine, which had been previously described by, Hochstein & Paradies. Well. I'm not wedded to any of this. I just simply state the facts, and the facts are that, not DMT so much, which is pretty common in many plants and animals, but Psilocybin. Psilocybin is 4-phosphoryloxy-NN-dimethyltryptamine. Well now. This is slightly technical, but it is the only 4-phosphorylated indole on this planet. That's strange because the way biology works, is if you have a molecule useful in a biological system, then in other biological systems you will get that same molecule or tiny variants; methylated or o-methylated. So here is Psilocybin with the only hydrolation in the 4 position on the planet. Well now, they search for extraterrestrial life with radio telescopes waiting for a signal. Fine. Another way would be to search the biological inventory of this planet for something that looks like it did not evolve from the main, broad flow of animal and plant evolution. And if you do that, this 4-phosphorylated indole is sticking up there like a sore thumb. I'd like to see a paper about how many of these kinds of chemical anomalies are known to exist on this earth in life. And what's the explanation for this. I've never seen anybody discuss this kind of thing. And yet, to my mind the Psilocybin molecule is as artificial as a Coke bottle. As it appears in nature. So.. If you'll just inventory nature. You would pick this molecule up and say. Well now.. What is, this molecule?.. - Terence Mckenna

Psychedelics are great, one time I was trippin on too much acid and I was staring at a fire pit and the fire pit turned into a mini world with little people and buildings, it was 2 years ago and it's such an experience to remember. would love to try out the magic mushrooms next, just don't know where to get them, so hard to come by

Thank you for having Michael Pollan His approach is level headed and compelling

I tried magic truffles in Amsterdam. I was tripping alone in my hotel room. He's right, it is really is a profound experience

I like Pollan. He knows how to talk to the general public because he's pedagogical and square. He doesn't have that "suspect" connection to the topic like someone who's already defined as representatives of the pro argument, something a lot of people will use against them no matter how scientific they may be. He also seems to be genuinely wanting to pitch in with his honest perspective, and I think it may just be exactly what we need. A guy like Pollan will typically reach a lot more of the kind of people who, despite everything, are still on the fence. I have some trepidations and principled axes to grind, specifically with regards to the hostility to recreational use. But considering how cumbersome the process has been, I think maybe we can't but move this one step forward at a time however small that step may be. Even if it gives people new associations that must be fought again further down the line, it's still progress if it helps people. Considering how strong and ruthless the forces are that are constantly working to move it back again, we have to be pragmatic. I could be wrong though, and that's why it's a little scary.

Brilliant and informative. If only the people with power to change things would accept this view point instead of just dismissing the idea ( and science ) that smoking some weed or eating some shrooms might not be the end of humanity and civilised society but may in fact improve it. Fun fact: The UK is one of, if not the biggest, exporters of cannabis with connections to sitting MPs at time of writing. Yet it remains illegal in the country and users are demonized and criminalised. If that's not hypocritical then I don't know what is.

The part on the war on drugs. 10:30 onwards. Incredibly eye opening.

This was a good video, the gallery background & conversation was such a success for me as a viewer.

I had the same experience with giving up smoking, where I just felt myself and realized I was hurting my body. This was with Microdosing. Also making me exercise and stretch more .

Great video content, very interesting topic. Looking forward to the next one...!

Great interview... 👍🏻

Very thoughtful and interesting conversation. Thank you for this great content

Even the act of eating at the dinner table with friends and family gives rise to profound biochemical changes in our body and brain.

Fascinating! Now I want to know about food 😊

Microdosing mushrooms- reduced anxiety and less compulsivity to eat sugar, junk, drink alcohol...amazing

👍🏻🍻 Interesting discussion

I love this man.❤

27:00 If you have tea or coffee after study it will help you retain the information

Excellent interviewer. Interesting guest.

"Food for thought"!

This guy was on Rogan years ago

My impression is the implications of capitalism, consumer culture, and basic American drugs/pharmaceuticals first culture, are highly(excessively) underpinning Pollan's theories and pitches, which come across to me as wishes as much as anything. His comment about touching something "bigger than oneself" sets off hype alarms. I would have liked to see him talk about the consciousness-changing power of getting out of our comfort zones as an alternative to consumables. Nicotine, which I don't believe was mentioned, is interesting. When I went to boot camp in 1980 it was clear that the company commander was in cahoots with big tobacco to get recruits addicted, which I did for a time.

Good to know medical science is catching up with us common folk.

Strange, when these naturally growing and occurring beautiful Mycelia fruits show insane amount of potential and data to be purely beneficial it often makes me wonder if they’re still shunned certain places due to the pharmaceutical cartels

Was 31:44 muted on purpose?

3:47 i have heard him talk and yet i love that idk mindset kinda similar to vsauce like why.

Lsd eventually inspired me to take control and live ... end of 😎

12:53 we ARE under-treating pain.

Yes there are hundreds of ways to help yourself NOT GOVERNMENTS MEDICATIONS STAY AWAY

I’ve watched and listened to Michael Pollan for years… With great pleasure. But it wasn’t until 29:10 when he said “It was inevitable I would want to try it”…. That’s when I saw right through his eyes for the first time 😂

I like action Energy "Holy spirit Fire".

Fire Energy ,yes "Holy Spirit Fire. The best.

The headroom is killing me.

We present daily briefly the most prominent religious issues and topics on the most beautiful landscapes, in Arabic and English...

Some people are obsessed with the quest of going to south America for an ayahuasca journey, without realising the journey happens after you take the substance. My advice would be to stay home and take mushrooms… That’s when the quest begins. You’re just wasting time going to Peru 😂

He is a scientist. It’s a state of mind and the scientific method has no judgment on your background or level of education.

Hello everyone. Where in the United States. .can one go with "life-long" depressive disorder(s). I'm an RN who is looking into this issue, which is huge...and move these folks...myself included into the jurisdiction of treatable, quick, cost effective treatment. Psychedics,...obviously work...psysilocyban...appears to be easily scaleable 😊, safe and ready for "prime time". Our mental health professionals are waiting: tens-of-thousands of us".

Instead of clean needles, give them 🍄 14:50 rising rates of inequality??? Dude, things are better than they ever ever been!

What's new esoteric tribes have known this for thousands of years throughout the earth.....

Friends, the International Social Project CREATIVE SOCIETY is gaining tremendous momentum in the world. People from different countries, nationalities and religions are coming together to build a just society. Only together we can change our world!

❤

Krishnan being so awkward. Why does the truth make channel 4 News so uncomfortable? Krishnan mentioning “hippie drugs” and “immaturity” is out of date and prejudiced.

this interview its not very bright. pollen is very intelligent

Cathy Newman of Channel 4 News conducted an extremely bad interview on January 16, 2018 and attempted to frame her interviewee with supposedly confirmatory questions that kept asking if the interviewee meant to say something that he didn’t say (“So you’re saying [something he didn’t say]?” The video garnered 38 million views and 190k criticisms in the comments. Cathy Newman should be held to account for this incident and severely punished with being sacked from her post. Cathy Newman deserves a life time of unhappiness and no care or love from her children when she ages.

There's also a lot of potential harm with psychedelics. Don't forget that part of the story.

I been using mushrooms for 2 1/2 years every day lol no lie

☝️🎩

Michael Pollen, you should have taken a science course or two. Plants don’t have desires to get people or even bees to do things for them. Evolution is accidental. The great majority of mutations are not beneficial. But every once in a while a mutation becomes an advantage to the plant etc.

More pseudo-science from you favourite 5th columnist channel