New Science of the Mind

There’s a growing opportunity for investors looking to make the most of psychedelics. Now before you think I’m talking about a clinic with black light posters, let me explain.

As you likely already know, psychedelics are a class of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness. This causes specific psychological, visual and auditory changes that is gaining attention in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression.

Michael Pollan, an American author and journalist who is currently the Knight Professor of Science and Environmental Journalism at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, has written a book called “How To Change Your Mind” that explores (among other things) the potential of using psychedelics in treating many types of mental illness.

Side note: In 2015, Pollan received the Washburn Award from the Boston Museum of Science, awarded annually to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution toward public understanding and appreciation of science. He was named as a fellow at Harvard University’s Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.

Mark Rozzo reviewed How to Change Your Mind in Columbia magazine. He writes that the book “offers a convincingly grown-up case for the potential of drugs that, having survived decades of vilification, now seem poised to revolutionize several fields, from mental health to neuroscience.”

Benjamin Bell at Johns Hopkins University also took notice of this new research and made reference to the drugs’ “reorganizing effects in the brain, their ability to ‘shake the snow globe’ and provide relief from mental illness or an avenue for personal growth.”

Robin Carhartt-Harris, another leader of this new research wave, asks “why does this molecule that looks just a little bit like serotonin have such dramatic effects on people?”

As an investor, I am always watching for revolutionary developments like this. Join on the conversation with me on Twitter @shervin.