Robin Carhart-Harris, Ph.D.

In this recent episode of @hubermanlab @michael.pollan explores collective consciousness and the possibility that the brain may not simply produce consciousness, but could somehow receive or channel it.

Psychedelics, and other practices such as meditation, can produce experiences of ego dissolution: we can remain conscious without the usual sense of self. This temporarily weakens the boundary between “I” and “other,” creating a profound sense of connection — that perhaps we are more alike, and less separate, than we normally perceive ourselves to be.

This resonates with Carl Jung’s idea of the collective unconscious: a deeper layer of the psyche that, he proposed, is shared across humanity and expressed through universal archetypes, symbols and patterns.

There’s an interesting resonance between these ideas: when the ordinary sense of “me” becomes quieter, people can sometimes experience something that feels larger than the individual self.

Consciousness remains one of our biggest mysteries. So maybe the most scientific position right now is also a humble one: keep an open mind.

This relationship between consciousness, the self, and psychedelics has been central to much of my research, and is something I explore further in “How Psychedelics Work”. If you’re interested, comment BOOK to pre-order.

Watch the full episode on Andrew Huberman YT channel “What Humans, Animals & Plants Tell Us About Consciousness | Michael Pollan”