How Psychedelics And Meditation Affect The Brain

Currently, psychedelics are getting renewed interest from the medical community. From anxiety and depression to addiction and even overcoming fear of death, research is showing psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy has a lot to offer. And science is showing us that the same part of the brain that is suppressed with psychedelics—the default mode network— is also suppressed in very experienced meditators. In this minisode, Dr. Hyman explores this topic in his conversations with Michael Pollan, Anthony Bossis and Daniel Goleman. 

Michael Pollan is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Cooked, Food Rules, In Defense of Food, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, The Botany of Desire, and his latest book How to Change Your Mind, which is all about the new science of psychedelics. 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.

Anthony P. Bossis, Ph.D. conducts FDA-approved clinical trials in the reemerging field of psychedelic research. He is a clinical psychologist and clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at NYU School of Medicine investigating the effects of psilocybin, a naturally occurring compound found in specific species of mushrooms. Dr. Bossis was director of palliative care research, co-principal investigator, co-author, and session guide on the 2016 landmark study showing a significant reduction in emotional distress along with enhanced existential wellbeing from a single psilocybin-generated mystical experience in persons with cancer.

Dr. Bossis is a supervisor of psychotherapy at Bellevue Hospital and co-founder and former co-director of the Bellevue Hospital Palliative Care Service and maintains a private psychotherapy practice in NYC.

Daniel Goleman is best known for his worldwide bestseller Emotional Intelligence and most recently co-authored the book Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain and Body. Goleman has been ranked among the 25 most influential business leaders by several business publications including TIME and The Wall Street Journal. Apart from his writing on emotional intelligence, Goleman has written books on topics including self-deception, creativity, transparency, meditation, social and emotional learning, eco-literacy, and the ecological crisis.

Tune into Dr. Hyman’s full length conversation with Michael Pollan:

https://DrMarkHyman.lnk.to/MichaelPollan

Tune into Dr. Hyman’s full- length conversation with Anthony Bossis:

https://DrMarkHyman.lnk.to/AnthonyBossis

Tune into Dr. Hyman’s full-length conversation with Daniel Goleman:

https://DrMarkHyman.lnk.to/DanielGoleman

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