Have You Had a Psychedelic Trip Worth Telling?
Medium and bestselling author Michael Pollan want to hear your story
You learn a lot on a book tour, much of it unexpected and some of it illuminating. As I’ve traveled around the country talking to audiences and journalists about the science of psychedelics and my new book How to Change Your Mind, what has surprised me most is how many people have pulled me aside and whispered, “Can I tell you a story?”
Often these are stories that have either never been told or not for years, kept in a personal box labeled “weird drug experience” and tucked away in a far corner of the mental attic. Perhaps the storyteller was embarrassed to share it — there is certainly a stigma attached to having these experiences, let alone taking them seriously — or there were kids around.
But these aren’t just “weird drug experiences.” Rather, they’re powerful stories about how a psychedelic trip changed someone’s life in a lasting way. There have been times when I felt like I was taking confession! People told me about trips that led to scientific insight, or recovery from psychological trauma, or freedom from addiction, or a vocation change. Many of these trips took place decades ago, but their ripples and implications are still being felt today.
