"As his now classic study American Trip showed, Ido Hartogsohn has got serious scholarly chops. But Mindshift possesses an arguably rarer gift: a breadth of vision and perspective that’s required for a topic as overwhelmingly kaleidoscopic as psychedelics. Accessible, thoughtful, and fun, this collection of popular essays not only provides a scintillating overview of a complex field, but models those qualities required to thread it all together: openness, curiosity, and care." — Erik Davis, author of Blotter: The Untold Story of an Acid Medium

"This is a highly readable, entertaining, and thought-provoking chronicle of some of the key features of the current psychedelic moment, presented by an astute and wise observer. Mindshift will not only introduce readers to the psychedelic resurgence but also engage their critical faculties as Hartogsohn reveals both the substantial hype and the considerable tensions behind the recent embrace of psychedelics." — Erika Dyck, author of Psychedelics: A Visual Odyssey and Psychedelic Psychiatry

"Mindshift is a deeply informed and highly readable series of meditations on psychedelics. Ido Hartogsohn distills his insights, and those of his fellow researchers, into essays that embrace the complexity of their subject, approaching it from multiple perspectives that highlight the extent to which the inner world of psychedelic experience is shaped by the external forces of set and setting, context and expectation." — Mike Jay, author of Mescaline: A Global History of the First Psychedelic and Psychonauts: Drugs and the Making of the Modern World

"Ido Hartogsohn is a fantastic researcher and one of the most thoughtful observers of the psychedelic renaissance out there." — Jules Evans, author of Philosophy for Life and Other Dangerous Situations

From the Reviews of the Israeli Edition

"Hartogsohn is a veteran psychonaut who has been writing on the subject for decades. There is no stone Hartogsohn leaves unturned, no research he has not read, examined, and commented on. Mindshift is... the deepest, broadest, and most important book written on contemporary psychedelia." — Yedioth Ahronot, The Times of Israel

"Hartogsohn is an enthusiastic advocate of psychedelic use, and he makes no attempt to hide that. At the same time, unlike other books on psychedelia, such as Michael Pollan's bestseller How to Change Your Mind, Hartogsohn is also aware of the complexity of the subject. While he points mainly to the bright sides of the psychedelic world, he also addresses its shadows." — Israel Hayom

Ido Hartogsohn is an Assistant Professor in the Graduate Program in Science, Technology, and Society at Bar Ilan University. He is the author of American Trip: Set, Setting, and the Psychedelic Experience in the Twentieth Century. He lives in Pardes Hanna, Israel.

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Part I: Medicine, Science, and Capitalism

1. The Radical Promise: Will Psychedelics Change the World of Medicine?

2. Psychedelia, Big Pharma, and Capitalism: Can the Wolf Lie Down with the Unicorn?

3. Psychedelics Without the Trip: Is Psychedelic Healing Possible Without the Inner Journey?

4. The Psychedelic Patent Wars: Who Will Win the Battle over Psychedelic Intellectual Property?

Part II: Psychedelics and Spirituality

5. Psychedelic Religion: Were the World's Religions Born from Visionary Rites?

6. Psychedelics and Meditation: Are the Two in Tension or in Harmony?

7. Shamanism, Capitalism, and Magic: How Ayahuasca Tourism Is Transforming Amazonian Shamanism

8. Psychedelic Rituals: How Do Psychedelic Rites Shape Culture?

9. Psychedelics and Evolution: Is Psychedelia the Missing Link in Human Evolution?

Part III: Psychedelics in the Culture

10. Psychedelic Weirdness: Should Psychedelics Go Mainstream or Stay Weird?

11. Psychedelic Conspiracy Theories: Does Psychedelia Breed Conspiracy Thinking?

12. Microdosing: Can Microdosing Psychedelics Improve Lives?

13. Psychedelic Art: How Psychedelics Are Transforming the Art World

14. Spinoza in the Diamond Skies: How the Psychedelic Experience Shapes Philosophy

15. Queer Psychedelia: How Altered States and Identity Politics Intersect

16. The Comeback of the Flashback: What Is Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder, and How to Live with It?

17. On Plants and Molecules: Which Is Better, Synthetic or Natural?

Part IV: Psychedelic Politics

18. Neuropolitics: What Is the Connection Between Psychedelic Experiences and Political Views?

19. Ecophilia: What Psychedelics Can Do for the Fight Against Climate Change

20. The Psychedelic Risk: How Dangerous Are Psychedelic Drugs, Really?

21. Heal the World: How Psychedelics Help Us Rethink the Global Crisis

22. Psychedelic Peace Buildings: What Happens When Israelis and Palestinians Sit Down to Drink Ayahuasca Together?

Part V: After the Psychedelic Renaissance

23. Psychedelic Drug Policy: How Do We Find a Place for Psychedelics in the Twenty-First Century?

24. Between Hype and Bust: Where's the Truth?

25. Psychedelic Integration: How to Use Psychedelics Wisely?

26. A Thousand and One Reasons to Take Psychedelics (What Is This Good For?)

Index