Front of mind for Michael Pollan: psychedelics - how medicine, religion, and recreation could re-enter society via new interdisciplinary research

Psychedelics are poised to re-enter mainstream US society, according to Michael Pollan, who frames their return through three “containers”: medicinal, religious, and recreational use. Pollan points to a new generation of researchers at universities pursuing scientific and medical applications while also emphasizing nonclinical questions, including how law and religious studies might shape what is permissible for sacramental use. At a Harvard event tied to the Study of Psychedelics in Society and Culture initiative, Pollan discusses near term medical expectations for MDMA and psilocybin, and he argues that “set and setting” and careful administration are essential, echoing Timothy Leary’s legacy. He also cites Indigenous peyote sacramental history and early accounts of psilocybin use to contextualize modern debates about religion, safety, and constitutional protections.