For the past 25 years, Michael Pollan, author of five New York Times bestsellers, 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. In How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence, Pollan investigates psychedelic drugs and what they reveal about the human mind, the self, and our connection to the natural world and each other.

How to Change Your Mind is a singular adventure into the experience of various altered states of consciousness, along with a deep dive into both the latest brain science and the thriving underground community of psychedelic therapists. Pollan introduces us to Silicon Valley professionals who take micro-doses of LSD to inspire creativity and innovation, seekers hoping for a mystical or religious experience, and terminal cancer patients who have had their fear of death diminished by a single psychedelic experience. Pollan also sifts the historical record to separate the truth about these mysterious drugs from the myths that have surrounded them since the 1960s.

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. In conversation with Alix Spiegel, co-host of “Invisibilia” and a reporter for NPR’s Science Desk. Book signing to follow.