Michael Pollan is the author of eight books, including:
- How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence,
- Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation,
- Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual,
- In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto,
- The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, and
- The Botany of Desire, all of which were New York Times bestsellers. A longtime contributor to the New York Times Magazine, he also teaches writing at Harvard and the University of California, Berkeley where he is the John S. and James L. Knight Professor of Science Journalism. In 2010, Time magazine named him one of the one hundred most influential people in the world. Website
Christopher M. Bache is professor emeritus in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Youngstown State University where he taught for 33 years. He is also adjunct faculty at the California Institute of Integral Studies and a Fellow at the Institute of Noetic Sciences. An award winning teacher, Chris’ work explores the philosophical implications of non-ordinary states of consciousness, especially psychedelic states. Chris has written three books: Lifecycles– a study of reincarnation in light of contemporary consciousness research; Dark Night, Early Dawn – a pioneering work in psychedelic philosophy and collective consciousness; and The Living Classroom, an exploration of teaching and collective fields of consciousness. His new book is LSD and the Mind of the Universe: Diamonds from Heaven (2019). Website
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.
Summary and transcript of this interview.
Interview recorded May 11, 2019
YouTube Video Chapters:
- 00:00:00 – Introduction and Background of the Guests
- 00:04:44 – The Evolutionary Strategy of Gratifying Human Desire in Plants
- 00:09:20 – The Intelligence of Plants
- 00:13:30 – Relief for Existential Distress
- 00:17:28 – Psychedelics and Mental Habit
- 00:23:34 – The Potential of Psychedelics in Treating Mental Health
- 00:28:54 – The Effects of Psychedelics on Consciousness and the Brain
- 00:33:31 – Changes in Belief and Perspective
- 00:37:35 – The Price of Admission to a Mysterious Other Ground
- 00:41:17 – Exploring the Nature of Mind
- 00:45:32 – The Complementarity of Science and Spirituality
- 00:49:50 – The Question of Consciousness and Mind Preceding Matter
- 00:53:47 – Evidence for Continuity of Awareness
- 00:58:08 – The Subtle Body and Psychedelic Experiences
- 01:02:56 – The Demanding Work of High Dose Psychedelic Sessions
- 01:07:47 – The Healing Process in Psychedelic Sessions
- 01:12:50 – Healing the Collective Psyche
- 01:17:24 – The Shift from Individual to Collective Perspective
- 01:22:15 – Taking Psychedelic Inquiry Seriously
- 01:26:34 – Boundaries of Consciousness Exploration
- 01:31:16 – Merging with the Mind of the Universe
- 01:35:59 – The Exploration of Consciousness Through Psychedelics and Meditation
- 01:40:26 – Connections between Psychedelic and Mystical States of Consciousness
- 01:44:27 – The Relationship Between Psychedelic Experiences and Behavior
- 01:48:42 – Publishing Michael’s book in paperback
- 01:52:32 – The Receptive Nature of Children’s Consciousness
- 01:56:45 – The Potential Negative Consequences of Legalizing Psychedelics
- 02:00:53 – The Evolutionary Dynamics of Humanity
- 02:05:54 – The Birth of the Diamond Soul
- 02:10:46 – The Crisis of Consciousness and the Future Human
- 02:15:05 – Closing Remarks and Appreciation
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