For the past 25 years, Michael Pollan, author of five New York Times bestsellers (including The Botany of Desire and The Omnivore’s Dilemma), has been writing about the places where nature and culture intersect: on our plates, in our farms and gardens, and, now, in the plants and fungi humans use to alter consciousness. Pollan’s unique and elegant blend of science, history, travel writing, and first person reportage has inspired millions of readers to look at familiar experiences in a whole new light while sparking vital national conversations about our relationship to the natural world.

In a talk based on his new book, Pollan explores these same themes while charting bold new territory. How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence is Pollan’s brilliant and brave investigation into psychedelic drugs and what they reveal about the human mind, the self, and our connection to the natural world and each other. A deeply researched and deeply personal exploration of human consciousness, Pollan’s “mental travelogue” is not just about psychedelic drugs, but also how, in a world that offers us both struggle and beauty, we can do our best to be fully present and find meaning in our lives.