Empire of the Mind

The Battle to Own the Future of Psychedelic Medicine

Olivia Goldhill (Author)

Empire of the Mind

The Battle to Own the Future of Psychedelic Medicine

Olivia Goldhill (Author)

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Description

“A thought-provoking and intelligent journey.” -Johann Hari, New York Times bestselling author of Stolen Focus and Lost Connections

A groundbreaking work of narrative journalism exposing the race to profit off the psychedelic revolution, and the immense power of the mental health industry.

When investigative journalist Olivia Goldhill started reporting on psychedelics a decade ago, the science suggested these criminalized drugs would transform the mental health industry. Studies showed that psychedelics could alleviate depression and trauma and were set to be the first new mental health treatment in a generation. But as she kept reporting, she discovered their promise was under threat.

A battle was brewing-a fight not just for control of psychedelics, but for the very meaning of the drugs. Hippies and scientists believed tripping was the gateway to a more holistic approach to mental health, built around therapy and community support. But billionaire-backed entrepreneurs also saw an opportunity and worked to quash these efforts with cutthroat pharmaceutical tactics, churning out pills for profit. Meanwhile, activists in Oregon had a radical plan to create their own version of psychedelic therapy, entirely outside of the medical sphere.

In Empire of the Mind, Goldhill dives into the world of corporate behemoths, nonprofits, and community activists, each fighting for the future of these potentially transformative-and lucrative-psychedelic drugs. With gripping on-the-ground reporting, she sounds an urgent alarm about how one of the last vestiges of counterculture could end up tamed into a capitalist product.

Product details

Published	Jan 26 2027
Format	Hardback
Edition	1st
Pages	272
ISBN	9781639732197
Imprint	Bloomsbury Publishing
Illustrations	n/a
Dimensions	9 x 6 inches
Publisher	Bloomsbury Publishing

Author

Olivia Goldhill

Olivia Goldhill is a journalist who has been repor…

This edifying debut from New Scientist editor Goldhill examines the race to pioneer psychedelics as mental health care . . . A sobering account of the underexamined risks of the psychedelic revolution.

Publishers Weekly
A thought-provoking and intelligent journey into some really challenging questions. Who should control the life-changing power of psychedelics? Anyone interested in this will be riveted by this book.

Johann Hari, New York Times bestselling author of Stolen Focus and Lost Connections
Turn on, tune in, cash out. This riveting expose reveals the big money and power trying to hijack the psychedelic revolution. The wild story spins from shocking cover ups to outlandish patent battles, revealing the enormous stakes in a hidden fight over the human mind.

Christopher Leonard, author of Kochland and The Lords of Easy Money
Olivia Goldhill is a tenacious reporter, and Empire of the Mind is an insightful and compelling account of the forces shaping the psychedelic renaissance-a story of idealists, opportunism and the seemingly unshakable constraints of human nature. An essential read for understanding the strange new industry of altered states.

Kimon de Greef, author of The Ego Trip: Psychedelic Toads, a Trail of Deaths, and the Guru Who Peddled Transcendence
As psychedelics race toward acceptance as medications for our minds, Olivia Goldhill waves a much-needed and well-researched yellow flag. Empire of the Mind exposes the dark side of the gurus, research institutions, and industry players that have promoted psychedelics as nearly magical cures.

Daniel Bergner, author of The Mind and the Moon: My Brother's Story, the Science of Our Brains, and the Search for Our Psyches
This is such an important book: so beautifully written and moving that it holds its journalistic rigour lightly. Whether you're an enthusiastic psychonaut or have never heard of Timothy Leary, Empire of the Mind is a gripping tour through an area of science, health and philosophy that is controversial, complex and fascinating.

Xand van Tulleken, author of Make Me Well: One Doctor's Quest to Understand the Confusing World of Wellness