This Is Your Mind On Plants

Michael Pollan is a well known writer on food and other matters.

This book is more limited in scope than his most well known books, basically three essays on opium, caffeine, and mescaline with a specific concern with his own personal experiences.

The first chapter covers his own personal experience growing opium in a more anti-drug era, when OxyContin would turn out to be the true menace. This was for me the best chapter.  It had something to say about opium while the reader follow along his own growing experience.  Pollan left out a section discussing how he brewed some opium tea, putting it in here since he no longer would have to worry about criminal liability.

The chapter on how caffeine revolutionized history to me seemed somewhat incomplete and I didn't quite buy it. And, regarding his own personal experience cutting out caffeine was also both incomplete and a bit unbelievable.  Pollan barely referenced decaffeinated coffee.  He notes caffeine doesn't really add to taste.  So, the ceremony and taste of coffee very well might be in place without the caffeine.  

And, his hyper response to having caffeine again seems a bit much. I'm not a big caffeine drinker, but regularly had a large cup brewed at home from espresso coffee.  I at times took a break with decaffeinated coffee or some coffee substitute.  I did not have some grave effects.  The book could have at least talked about coffee substitutes some more.

The mescaline chapter had some charms, but it also was incomplete and had a personal flavor that did not do it for me.  The discussion of Native Americans and peyote use was interesting, including his interview with various people.  But, he alluded to other sources without citation of what they had to say about Native American experiences. 

The Supreme Court cases concerning peyote (briefing covered) and ayahuasca (the drug is cited; not clear if he is even aware of the case) could have been discussed more.  One theme of the chapter is the concern of Native Americans that non-Natives usage of psychedelics was a threat.  The peyote case involved a non-Native American (though it is often forgotten about).  Also, the case opens up a chance to learn about Native American experiences, which the author says he could only so far obtain.

Pollan has written about his experience with mind altering drugs (or whatever one wants to call them) before.  His joy as an grower of plants here is about matched by his experiences taking them.  He talks about his use of opium and mescaline, the latter including some sort of ceremony with his wife and a few others.  It was some sort of spiritual experience.

He used a lot more words.  To me, admittedly I didn't experience it, it came off as somewhat pretentious.  The drugs alter your consciousness, changing your senses.  As part of a wider ceremonial practice -- the peyote ritual -- on some level I can respect what is involved here.  It is a community matter, combined with a basic connection with nature.  

Pollan's experience seems more some sort of mind bending exercise. There probably is some fascination there, but after a few paragraphs, it seems to this reader as not too fascinating.  Again, he wrote more about this elsewhere, including how the substances involved can have value for mental health and so forth.  It's an interesting thing to examine on that level. Mind altering drugs are after all the point of many antidepressants.

Anyway, mixed rating for me.  The first chapter -- good.  The second -- tiresome after a while.  The third -- ditto, though like the second, it has some interesting aspects.  The third is broken down into parts, so it is easier to read and skip over the boring. 

A final thought. The last chapter took place during the Big V (COVID).  It is somewhat a matter of my own experiences, but I continue to think there is some exaggeration regarding how isolated we all are.  We are not literal prisoners in our own homes.  People can go out and so forth.  There is more limited movement, including for chance of travel and doing certain events (especially entertainment related).  

But, the author is a well off person in his sixties, a writer with his wife.  Just how much did his life really change?  

ETA: Checking on television ... again, why can't there be more recognition regarding COVID?  Hallmark movies are somewhat understandable, since they are fantasy enterprises, but is really hard to show people wearing masks or something?