About this episode
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. Christopher Bache in Panel Discussion on Ayahuasca and Psychedelics as Potential Catalysts for Personal and Societal Evolution 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