How To Change Your Mind Review: Michael Pollan's docuseries on psychedelic drugs and their journey is a riveting watch

3/5

Story: Netflix's latest documentary How to Change Your Mind is a four-part documentary series that revolves around the therapeutic properties of psychedelic drugs - LSD, psilocybin, MDMA (ecstacy) and mesacaline. 

Review: Netflix's latest documentary How to Change Your Mind is an adaptation of Michael Pollan's book of the same name. The four-part documentary series delves into the therapeutic properties of psychedelic drugs and their psychological and spiritual benefits, with each part devoting itself into a drug- LSD, psilocybin, MDMA (ecstacy) and mesacaline. Directed by Alison Ellwood and Lucy Walker, the documentary revolves around the discovery of these psychedelic drugs, the history behind each substance and archival footages of those involved in their research, be it the chemists, psychiatrists, healers and the experience of people with mental conditions, like PTSD and OCD, after consuming the drugs.

The series begins with Pollan meeting a ceremonial leader, attending a prayer and snorting smoldering tobacco. He describes the experience as flame going back through head as if his brain was on fire and how everything was pulled out of his body. He terms it a powerful experience of catharsis. Throughout the show, we get to see similar instances where psychedelic drugs are administered into a patient's body in a controlled environment and their varied reactions to the same. While at some instances, we see graphic images, at many others, we see objects moving and acquiring different sizes and shapes, a kaleidoscope of vivid patterns, hallucinations, giving us an idea of what one would feel like if they were to take the drug.

Each episode in the series provides us a peek into the psychedelic substances and ]how they can be used as pain-alleviating drugs and can thus, transform people's lives for the better. But these kind of claims do have to come with a disclaimer. And we see that right in the beginning- "The following series is designed to entertain and inform. You should always consult your doctor when it comes to your personal health or before you start any treatment." 

The journey of each drug from their inception to their subsequent ban in the US make How to Change Your Mind, a riveting watch. We get to see nuggets of history, when the drugs were used by all and sundry, especially during the '50, '60s and '70s and how they ended up changing the thoughts and lives of the young generation at that point of time, so much so that they even wanted their country to stop waging wars against others! We also get to see how the CIA conducted experiments on soldiers on how the drugs could alter the behaviour of enemies.

Many interesting characters are featured in the documentary- Humphry Osmond, who coined the term psychedelic (mind-manifesting), Albert Hofmann, who first synthesized LSD-25 during the second world war, Leo Zeff, who pioneered the therapy usage of MDMA, and Carlos Plazola, founder of the Decriminalize Nature organisation, to name a few. We also see vignettes where the senate calls for bans on the drugs and American Presidents declaring that the drug culture was dangerous to the country and its people. It also touches upon how some of these drugs are indigenous to certain cultures, for e.g, why access to peyotes should be confined to the native Americans alone. 

There are so many cases made in favour of the usage of drugs that at one point, one begins to wonder why these drugs were banned in the first place. The flipside, however, is that the documentary doesn't really delve into any of the side-effects caused by these drugs and their physical and mental effects on the body in the long run. The documentary also steers clear of the mention of popular personalities who used any of these drugs. But it, sure, leaves you on a high!

Verdict: An interesting and informative documentary on psychedelic drugs