I've done LSD and psilocybin. I've had good trips and bad. I'm not sure what I expected from this show, but having watched 90% of the first episode, I wish there was some more about the neuroscience. What's going on in the brain when people trip?
Host Michael Pollen claims the quality of a trip is all about set and setting, yet we see a guy taking acid in a hospital for a contemporary study. *Shudder* Would that not make for a terrible trip?
I already know about Tim Leary and Ram Das. I know about Ken Kesey and the acid test. It was kind of interesting to suggest that Silicon Valley was really initiated by the acid culture, but the story quickly moved on.
Come on, there's more to it than this. More to get into. Yes, in the 50s there was research being done, Leary crashed the party, Nixon turned on all the lights and sent everyone home, and no one did research for thirty years. We know all that.
But what is it DOING? How is it causing the brain to produce hallucinations? Why does time slow down? Does everyone trip the same way? What about all the different versions of acid out there? Who makes it? How did Leary ever get his hands on it in the first place?
A flat, superficial take on an otherwise fascinating subject that seems more geared toward a daytime talk show audience.