What Humans, Animals and Plants Tell Us About Consciousness | Michael Pollan

Michael Pollan is a renowned author, journalist and professor at UC Berkeley. He is best known for his influential works on how humans and plants have shaped each other at the level of food, medicine, health, and culture. In this episode we discuss consciousness—what it is and how the recognition between our self vs others contributes to-- but also can impair, certain aspects of conscious experience. We discuss psychedelics, the microbiome, caffeine, and how the unconscious dialogue between our body and brain impacts our thoughts and feelings. Pollan offers a hopeful perspective on how our relationship with plants and animals – including other humans, can lead us to a healthier, and far richer experience of life. Show notes: https://go.hubermanlab.com/XLRVeiP Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/huberman Function: https://functionhealth.com/huberman Mateina: https://drinkmateina.com Rorra: https://rorra.com/huberman Huberman Lab Website: https://www.hubermanlab.com Instagram:   / hubermanlab   Threads: https://www.threads.net/@hubermanlab X: https://x.com/hubermanlab Facebook:   / hubermanlab   TikTok:   / hubermanlab   LinkedIn:   / andrew-huberman   Michael Pollan Website: https://michaelpollan.com Books: https://amzn.to/4rAG20g Newsletter: https://michaelpollan.substack.com Academic Profile: https://journalism.berkeley.edu/perso... X: https://x.com/michaelpollan Facebook:   / 100044521082777   Instagram:   / michael.pollan   Threads: https://www.threads.com/@michael.pollan Timestamps 00:00:00 Michael Pollan 00:02:50 Wendell Berry, Nature 00:06:30 Consciousness; Sentience 00:10:04 Environmental Response, Plant Intelligence; Self-Recognition 00:13:52 Sponsors: Eight Sleep & Rorra 00:20:49 Plants, Communication, Sentience, Symbiosis 00:27:37 Self-Awareness, Time; Xenobots, Instinct 00:34:32 Microbiome, Influence & Symbiosis 00:40:28 Meaning; Cortex vs Brain Stem, Homeostatic Feelings 00:47:17 Sponsor: AG1 00:48:36 Body & Brain Communication, Vagus Nerve 00:57:21 Collective Consciousness, Psychedelics, Ego, Awe 01:08:14 Filter Theories of Consciousness 01:13:28 Sponsor: Function 01:15:06 AI, Consciousness, Feelings; Memory; Quantum Effects 01:21:27 Childhood, Gardening, Interacting with Nature 01:27:08 Hope, Nature & Agency, Food Industry 01:32:21 Advocacy, Psychedelics, Food Industry 01:39:50 Sponsor: Mateina 01:44:52 Psychedelics, Ibogaine, Veterans, Politics; MDMA, Psilocybin; Risk 01:52:18 Caffeine, Caffeine Fast, Health Benefits 02:00:21 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow, Reviews & Feedback, Sponsors, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer