What does it mean to become a psychonaut? Writer Michael Pollanauthor of the book How to change your mindpublished in Italy by Adelphi, explores the effects of psychedelic drugs on human beings, supported by Erika Gagnon, in a new documentary miniseries available on Netflix. Four episodes lasting about an hour analyze the psychedelia from the 60s to today, dealing in each episode with a particular substance: LSD, mescaline, MDMA and psilocybin. Erika Gagnon and writer Michael Pollan take them firsthand to tell how they feel, indulging in reflections on death, addiction, depression, anxiety and transcendence.
The series offers a part scientific and part personal look at some consciousness-altering substances by tracing the historical context. When Pollan explains the feeling of childlike awe he felt when he first took LSD, you can’t help but take it seriously and listen carefully to his words.
A series that runs on the razor’s edge for the statements it contains, being careful not to become an encouragement to consume illegal and dangerous substances. A current portrait of the potential of psychedelia as a tool for changing minds at a cultural level is proposed, also underlining its beneficial properties with due precautions and a controlled dosage. Interviews with scientists, doctors and psychologists alternate with archival material with documented cases of direct experiences with anxious people or people suffering from some obsessive-compulsive disorder who try to take LSD and the like, drawing benefit from it, at least in part. Pollan points out that these substances are not addictive and that their ability to eliminate filters could open your eyes to a wider and more enlightening world.
LSD was first synthesized on November 16, 1938 by the Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann in Switzerland, while looking for a drug to be administered to women after childbirth. Its effects include heightened thoughts, emotions and sensory perceptions, up to visual and auditory hallucinations if taken in high dosages.
There psilocybin oi magic mushrooms have recorded interesting effects on patients with cancer or obsessive-compulsive disorders. Spiritual healers like Erika Gagnon – who also calls herself “shaman” in the first episode – often use these substances for rituals and practices to connect with one’s subconscious, memories, fears.
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L’MDMAalso known as Ecstasy, turns off the part of the brain called amygdala which is responsible for frightening and threatening stimuli, so the anxiety subsides and the subject is overwhelmed by serotonin which makes him feel loved and happy for a certain time. Finally the mescalinea psychoactive molecule found in San Pedro cacti and peyote, is considered a sacred medicine by Native Americans and is used in religious ceremonies. How to change your mind is an interesting series that allows you to explore a topic often considered taboo, offering new information that everyone can then elaborate as they prefer.
Journey into the universe of psychedelic substances in a Netflix miniseries