5x15

5x15's new season kicks off in January with a special conversation about consciousness and the world of psychedelics with two highly acclaimed authors, neuropsychologist Andy Mitchell and neuroscientist Anil Seth. The 'psychedelic renaissance' is upon us. While psychedelic drugs were once demonised, and are still largely illegal, they are now officially a 'breakthrough therapy' used to treat mental health disorders and enhance well-being. But there is a risk that making them safe or normal might ultimately destroy what makes them potent. What is at stake in normalising substances that alter our consciousness? In his book Ten Trips, Andy Mitchell argues that we should embrace what is strange and valuable about these drugs, less as a prescribed antidote for certain conditions than as a way to rethink mental health itself, and re-enchant us with the world. The psychedelic experience is, after all, part of the rich tapestry of consciousness, which is also not as simple as it once seemed. In his 'exhilarating' b