Watch UC Berkeley Professor Michael Silver describe how recording the brains of people on psychedelics could transform our understanding of human consciousness
By Kara Manke, Charlotte Khadra
May 4, 2026
Michael Silver wants to know what your brain looks like on psychedelics.
From Timothy Leary to Michael Pollan, countless psychologists, journalists and cultural leaders have documented the profound impact psychedelics can have on the human mind. And long before these substances became popularized in Western society, psychoactive plants were a key component in many Indigenous healing practices.
