Psychology

Good Chemistry: The Science of Connection from Soul to Psychedelics

Good Chemistry: The Science of Connection from Soul to Psychedelics

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  • Create Date：2022-08-09 07:51:47
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Julie Holland
  • ISBN：0062862898
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Summary

A psychiatrist and psychedelic researcher explores the science of connection--why we need it， how we've lost it， and how we might find it again。

We are suffering from an epidemic of disconnection that antidepressants and social media can't fix。 This state of isolation puts us in "fight or flight mode，" deranging sleep， metabolism and libido。 What's worse， we're paranoid of others。 This kill-or-be-killed framework is not a way to live。 But， when we feel safe and loved， we can rest， digest， and repair。 We can heal。 And it is only in this state of belonging that we can open up to connection with others。

In this powerful book， Holland helps us to understand the science of connection as revealed in human experiences from the spiritual to the psychedelic。 The key is oxytocin--a neurotransmitter and hormone produced in our bodies that allows us to trust and bond。 It fosters attachment between mothers and infants， romantic partners， friends， and even with our pets。 There are many ways to reach this state of mental and physical wellbeing that modern medicine has overlooked。 The implications for our happiness and health are profound。

We can find oneness in meditation， in community， or in awe at the beauty around us。 Another option: psychedelic medicines that can catalyze a connection with the self， with nature， or the cosmos。 Good Chemistry points us on the right path to forging true and deeper attachments with our own souls， to one another， and even to our planet， helping us heal ourselves and our world。

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Reviews

Devon Halfyard ，

incredible， iconic， etc。 more people need to read this book！

Amanda Bracken ，

Ugh， I thought this was going to be so awesome， but it just wasn't。 I found myself getting mad about some of the statements and opinions early on， so I tried to keep going。 No， this just wasn't for me。 Ugh， I thought this was going to be so awesome， but it just wasn't。 I found myself getting mad about some of the statements and opinions early on， so I tried to keep going。 No， this just wasn't for me。 。。。more

Xavier Vasquez ，

Holland explains the medical and scientific for the masses。 Reading this cements my belief in the legitimacy of aboriginal and First Nations’ view of the world。 To ignore is to fail。

Abhay Verma ，

Such an interesting topic。Difficult to read because of chapter lengths （1。5 hrs per chapter in the audiobook） and no labeled sub topics （at least in the audiobook） between chapters。Also， no prelude to chapters （or titles） makes it difficult to understand what to expect from each chapter， and no summary at the end of any chapter makes it seem like there is nothing worth remembering after finishing a topic。

Mae Guerrette ，

The last chapter was 5 out of 5 stars。

Adriyana Grotseva ，

The author reviews the effects and treatments of cannabis， psilocybin， ayahuasca， micro-dosing with mushrooms and LSD。 How psychedelics can unleash creativity and decrease suffering。 Creativity， enabled by psychedelics， comes from increased connectivity in the brain between areas that don’t usually communicate。 The same thing can happen on a personal level - to connect with parts within ourselves that seem lost or open new avenues of discussion with our partners。 We can also chose to connect mor The author reviews the effects and treatments of cannabis， psilocybin， ayahuasca， micro-dosing with mushrooms and LSD。 How psychedelics can unleash creativity and decrease suffering。 Creativity， enabled by psychedelics， comes from increased connectivity in the brain between areas that don’t usually communicate。 The same thing can happen on a personal level - to connect with parts within ourselves that seem lost or open new avenues of discussion with our partners。 We can also chose to connect more fully with our families or other people outside our usual circles。 All these ways in connecting more deeply lead to a deep healing。 The author talks about the connection of humans with nature and that we need to keep Earth safe in order to keep ourselves safe but not by spreading fear of destruction but instead instill a feeling of awe and connection in the people。 Empathy， connection， talking to a friend， music， going outside are ways to help with feeling down。 Some insights for me from the book:Unified theory of connection - loneliness doesn’t come from not having people around you but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to you。 - Carl Jung Our flight or fight （sympathetic） nervous system is not the key to our survival anymore （but it is for the animals in the wild）。 Now it is the parasympathetic system - protect and connect， which works along the sympathetic system。 It is our natural state of balance， relaxed， safe， comfort， taking care of or being taken care of， being among friends， orgasm， being in awe。 To get into parasympathetic state， breath through left nostril and exhale slightly longer than inhale。 With this one nostril breathing the left lung expands more than the right。 Then the heart gets more oxygen and works less。 Slows the heart rate and is called slow breathing。 Other ways are to do nothing， do yoga （tie the mind to the body）， sing， float， hug yourself。 Conflict is where growth is trying to happen。 Dopamine is less about pleasure and more about fixing onto and driving rewarding behavior。 It’s the chemical of tenacity。 Oxytocin can promote generosity to in-group members but also spiteful behavior towards outsiders of the group。 We have inherit social categorization and intergroup bias。 It seems that oxytocin amplifies the success or failure of the original attachment bond。 Suggesting that for those with insecure attachments the addition of oxytocin might just bring more of those initial negative experience。 Oxytocin is double edged sword - makes you kinder to your group but more aggressive to those outside。 Reversal learning is when an animal or a person is trained to respond one way and subsequently trained to reverse the reward values。 The behavior that was previously rewarded is now punished and vice versa。 It is used as a test for cognitive flexibility。 Psychedelics help to accelerate reversal learning。 This can be helpful in treating addictions。 The antidote to mortality is love。 Loving people around you， loving life， yourself， caring， connecting， being present。 Loving every minute you have and not dying before you die。 A lot of people get that from psychedelics。 The psychedelic experience teaches you about how to live your life。 People finding their personal religion - that thing that will sustain you through all the difficult points in your life。 And that is the most radical thing about psychedelics - they give every single individual the empowerment to access the divine in themselves， there is no intermediary。 That is also the scariest aspect。 It is a lot of power that you are reminding individuals that they have。 This power is also responsibility。 Connecting with natural beauty can induce awe。 And awe can reduce narcissism - helping us to feel small。 Psychedelics can temp down that narcissism by temporary quieting the default mode network。 Psychedelics can help us to unlearn （reversal learning）。 They can help us become a little less neurotic and a lot more open。 Can help us to rediscover parts of ourselves that we have buried or have lost touch with。 。。。more

Tiago Faleiro ，

I've read my share of psychedelic books and I'm far from a novice in the topic。 I am a bit apprehensive about reading more books on the subject。 Not only because I already know a fair bit， but also because honestly， most books about the topic are lazy。 They take advantage of psychedelics renewed public interest， but they mostly just reach the same things: the discovery of psychedelics， the medical research， the counterculture， drug prohibition， and then the psychedelic renaissance of the 21st ce I've read my share of psychedelic books and I'm far from a novice in the topic。 I am a bit apprehensive about reading more books on the subject。 Not only because I already know a fair bit， but also because honestly， most books about the topic are lazy。 They take advantage of psychedelics renewed public interest， but they mostly just reach the same things: the discovery of psychedelics， the medical research， the counterculture， drug prohibition， and then the psychedelic renaissance of the 21st century。 Not that is anything wrong with this， but it has been written about a million times。 However， this book captivated my eye and made me hope it would add something new， particularly the word connection on the title。 It's one of the most important aspects of psychedelics but yet not emphasized enough。While the typical topics I mentioned are cover， nevertheless the perspective is fresh。 While psychedelics are the main theme of the book， she rightful understands why they are so powerful: the ability to feel connected。 Both because of how much they bring this about in a psychedelic experience， but just as important: because we live in a society that is deeply disconnected， thus making the contrast even greater。 The book is surprisingly varied in its content and approach。 Sometimes that was a positive， sometimes a negative。 It had everything from neurochemistry， Holland's life history， stories from her patients， history， politics， and more。 To be fair I found out a bit more personal than I would have liked。Nevertheless， it does add human depth to the book， and I understand that it makes a better reading experience for most and easier to sell and market。 The drug emphasis is also varied， covering not only the typical LSD and mushrooms but also MDMA and Cannabis， the latter of which is emphasized more than usual by the author。 What I liked the most was the underlying mechanisms of connection， which should be basic psychology knowledge but certainly isn't， and I have no idea why given its crucial importance。 She seems to attribute this mostly to two factors， the first being the parasympathetic nervous system。 It's a state associated with when we feel relaxed and safe。 This contrasts with the sympathetic nervous system， which is associated with the fight and flight response。 She argues that our modern lives are mostly lived with the sympathetic nervous system， deteriorating our mental health and making us feel disconnected。 The second is oxytocin， often known as the "love hormone"。 It's associated with bonding， particularly with your partner and close ones。 The typical narrative of oxytocin is oversimplified， and I'm glad she took that into account， but nevertheless， its role in social connection cannot be missed。The two factors aren't separate as perhaps I have implied here。 They certainly work together， and oxytocin is part of the chemical mechanism behind the parasympathetic nervous system。 Although certainly not the only one， is far more complex。 It can be thought of as the antagonist of the sympathetic system， which relies heavily on adrenaline and cortisol。 Towards the end of the book the default mode network was also heavily emphasized in relationship to egocentrism。 But as I previously mentioned， the book goes well beyond just neurochemistry。 It also talks at a level close to everyday life: romance， sex， childbirth， child-rearing， etc。 Of course， all are big factors for our social lives and our feeling of connection。 It also mentions more minor aspects that may not immediately come to mind， such as hugs， cuddling， and eye contact。 They're relatively simple social bonding actions but they shouldn't be underestimated。However， while this is certainly at a level of everyday life and not directly talking about some neurotransmitters， it obviously has a very strong biological component。 I liked that this was constantly emphasized throughout the book。 This kind of discussion can often get into the typical new age spirituality， and while not directly opposed to it， it's important to realize the biological reality of this aspect of the human experience。 Despite these all having a biological underpinning， some factors do not， at least to a meaningful degree。 Connection is not only a biologically influenced force in individuals， but it is also affected by the broader community。 This is particularly relevant in our society。 We are not atoms independent of everything else， but we depend on relationships， and that has a big effect on our feeling of connection。 This was even covered within a psychedelic paradigm。 For instance， many examples were given of the role of couple's psychedelic therapy， or the effect of psychedelics not on the subject who took the substance but on their peers。 There were several aspects I did not like。 I wasn't a fan of mixing politics into the book。 Sometimes she was a bit too hippy for my taste， and most problematically， I found some of her claims exaggerated。 While the science was overall solid， particularly in terms of mechanisms， some studies and examples were overplayed and the conclusion farfetched。 The book at times also had an over self-help tone which I felt did not fit very well and undermined the better aspects of the book。 Despite these negatives， I still found the book enjoyable。 If you're new to psychedelics it is a good book to get into the topic， and if you're not， you may still found her emphasis on connection interesting and refreshing。 While psychedelics have enormous importance for psychiatry， it's crucial to remember why: they touch on the core of what it means to be human: connection， meaning， awe， spirituality and sacredness。 。。。more

Sara ，

I really enjoyed reading this book。 It is heavy on science， but with a friendly and relatable perspective that I found easy to read。 I learned so much about our brain chemistry and the compelling research that has been done on the use of psychedelics for mental health treatment。 The book references many interesting studies and other books that I am excited to read next。 I am currently on a journey toward healing and I found this book to be very relatable。 I have read quite a few "self help" book I really enjoyed reading this book。 It is heavy on science， but with a friendly and relatable perspective that I found easy to read。 I learned so much about our brain chemistry and the compelling research that has been done on the use of psychedelics for mental health treatment。 The book references many interesting studies and other books that I am excited to read next。 I am currently on a journey toward healing and I found this book to be very relatable。 I have read quite a few "self help" books， but this one is on the short list of books I would buy just to have on my shelf to lend to others who are struggling。 It's not the kind of book that makes you feel warm and fuzzy and like you're going to wake up better tomorrow。 It's realistic and provides practical tips while instilling hope that future treatments will help us all heal faster and with longer lasting success。 。。。more

Olivia Wilinski ，

Super interesting read， a lot of important information and a fresh perspective on the possibilities of incorporating plant medicine into psychiatric treatment。 Sometimes it read too much like a persuasive essay though。

Katie ，

Obviously psychedelics are in the title of this， so I knew they’d be a theme， but wow， this lady recommends psychedelics for everything up to and including the Israel-Palestine conflict。 This is really a collection of interesting studies， loosely themed。 Some of them were indeed very interesting but it did feel a bit disjointed at times。

Douglas Fergus ，

Full of useful information。 A lot of it is fascinating and 'new to me' at 60 years old。 I've never strayed too far in expanding my knowledge of alternate healing methods。 But I've been dealing with some physical/health issues that seem more mind-based than physical。 This book gives me hope that there may be a way to get help。 Full of useful information。 A lot of it is fascinating and 'new to me' at 60 years old。 I've never strayed too far in expanding my knowledge of alternate healing methods。 But I've been dealing with some physical/health issues that seem more mind-based than physical。 This book gives me hope that there may be a way to get help。 。。。more

Olga ，

This book was good， and I learned a lot！ It basically argues that all of the problems of the world can be explained by a lack of connection: a connection to the self， to others， and to the world。 Particularly， Holland highlights the importance of staying in "para" （and not in a constant fight-or-flight mode） and how the neurotransmitter oxytocin plays a significant role in the ability to connect。 She also advocates for the use of psychedelics in therapeutic and non-therapeutic settings， arguing This book was good， and I learned a lot！ It basically argues that all of the problems of the world can be explained by a lack of connection: a connection to the self， to others， and to the world。 Particularly， Holland highlights the importance of staying in "para" （and not in a constant fight-or-flight mode） and how the neurotransmitter oxytocin plays a significant role in the ability to connect。 She also advocates for the use of psychedelics in therapeutic and non-therapeutic settings， arguing that these can help us create new connections in the brain and leave our ego behind， resulting in a deeper connection with the things around us。 I completely agree！ This book reminded me a lot of Pollan's "How to Change your Mind" and presented a lot of complimentary information。Holland writes with a sense of humor and tells a story， but almost always backs up her ideas with studies。 I felt that the first half of the book was stronger than the second， and one of my favorite parts was regarding male and female pheromones: "Men， for example， appear to be able to sense ovulation via pheromones。 In one study， lap dancers at a club in Albuquerque saw their tips spike on days they were ovulating and drop significantly during their periods。"。。。"Women have a subtler take。。。When presented with a choice of sweaty T-shirts that men had slept in for several consecutive nights， women preferred ones from men whose immunse systems were significantly different from their own。" 。。。more

Mish ，

I enjoyed most of this as psychedelics have always intrigued me and opened my own mind when I’ve consumed。 My thoughts are always open and so connected， often changing the way I perceive the world for a while afterward。 Certain areas of this book I found myself skimming， as I found some of it quite dry especially at the end。 All in all， was worth reading。

Alexandra ，

I thought I was reading a book about breath until the 40% mark。 I thought it was weird how it had such a long intro about psychedelics。 It was a book that made me long to do mushrooms and have give birth。 But also。。。。not at all。 It did make me reach out and touch the friend that sat next to me while I read it。 and maybe stay off my phone a bit more while I was with friends。 So that's lovely。"Who you are and what you believe are two separate things。" I thought I was reading a book about breath until the 40% mark。 I thought it was weird how it had such a long intro about psychedelics。 It was a book that made me long to do mushrooms and have give birth。 But also。。。。not at all。 It did make me reach out and touch the friend that sat next to me while I read it。 and maybe stay off my phone a bit more while I was with friends。 So that's lovely。"Who you are and what you believe are two separate things。" 。。。more

Jimena Cuevas ，

Excelente libro que habla de la importancia de estar conectado con uno mismo， con los demás y con la naturaleza y cómo la admiración a los más mínimos detalles dan felicidad y tranquilidad

Stephen ，

This follows in the footsteps of some of my other book club readings （most notably， “How to Change Your Mind” by Michael Pollan）， as I’m fascinated by the research being done into plant medicines， from both a scientific and cultural perspective。 This book goes a bit further afield， exploring our relationships to each other， the earth， and the cosmos。 “Connections” is the overall theme and thread running throughout: connecting with our true selves and our own sense of being， connections to others This follows in the footsteps of some of my other book club readings （most notably， “How to Change Your Mind” by Michael Pollan）， as I’m fascinated by the research being done into plant medicines， from both a scientific and cultural perspective。 This book goes a bit further afield， exploring our relationships to each other， the earth， and the cosmos。 “Connections” is the overall theme and thread running throughout: connecting with our true selves and our own sense of being， connections to others （psychologically and physically）， connections to the environments that surround us （communities， nature， energies/spiritually）， and our connection to the meaning we make and take from our place in the vast unknowingness that is the universe， consciousness， and life。 All that being said， it’s a very approachable book， and a good introduction for many of these ideas。 Recommended。 。。。more

Brad ，

I enjoyed this book thoroughly。 After spending some time with Julie at Esalen last year， I'd really been interested in reading one of her books and I'm glad I started here。 It's good timing to be reading about his subject matter of connection given how easy it is during this pandemic， now a year in， to feel so isolated。 Dr。 Holland has shared something very personal and very powerful in exploring ways in which we can find and nurture the connection with ourselves， others， nature， and the cosmos。 I enjoyed this book thoroughly。 After spending some time with Julie at Esalen last year， I'd really been interested in reading one of her books and I'm glad I started here。 It's good timing to be reading about his subject matter of connection given how easy it is during this pandemic， now a year in， to feel so isolated。 Dr。 Holland has shared something very personal and very powerful in exploring ways in which we can find and nurture the connection with ourselves， others， nature， and the cosmos。 She breaks down the science of our neurochemistry in ways that are easy to follow。 If you've ventured into Michael Pollen's writing on psychedelics and the nature of the mind， this also builds on that in a more meaningful way， in my opinion。 I'm highly recommending this book now to folks I know who are interested in the subject matter， especially considering how current the findings are that are covered regarding the science。 Good chemistry， great stuff， and helpful tools are to be found in these pages。 。。。more

Kacia Cameron ，

Fantastic explaination of oxytocin， dopamine and serotonin。 Psyechedlic use has its place in medicine！

Majo Castillo ，

This book made my commuting to work so pleasant！ I have always been interested in the topic but it has been fascinating to read how psychedelics work as a form of therapy。 The layout of the book is great and very clear as it builds up from connection to self all the way to connection with the cosmos。 The language is scientific and yet very clear， funny and quite easy to follow。 I would totally recommend this book as it is eye opening not only as an individual but also how we connect and function This book made my commuting to work so pleasant！ I have always been interested in the topic but it has been fascinating to read how psychedelics work as a form of therapy。 The layout of the book is great and very clear as it builds up from connection to self all the way to connection with the cosmos。 The language is scientific and yet very clear， funny and quite easy to follow。 I would totally recommend this book as it is eye opening not only as an individual but also how we connect and function as a community in such relevant topics like climate change。 If you are even more interested in the topic， you can watch the "Goop Lab" on netflix as one episode is dedicated to the use of Psychedelic drugs as a form of therapy。 。。。more

Linda ，

Enjoyed this book and also read Michael Pollen’s book on same topic。 I wish both of them would have spent more detail on how to become a particular in psychedelic therapy。 I know much of it is still illegal and is being used in clinical trials but since it is starting to become more mainstream and acceptable what steps does one take who would like to use it for therapeutic use？ The theme of connection is very strong and I found it helpful and interesting。

Matt ，

I really enjoyed this！ Essentially， it’s an highly readable overview of the latest research in neurology and psychology （and a few other fields！） related to connection。 Holland covers a huge range of different relationships / life circumstances， from social media to parenting， psychedelics to sex， global warming to breathing， partisan politics to pets。I think this would make a great introduction for anyone wants to wade into the science。

Anne Holthaus ，

Will be interesting to see what the scientific， spiritual， counseling， and most importantly the law enforcement communities think over the next 20 years。

Lia Hulit ，

need to reread， didn't get to full finish but really enjoyed this need to reread， didn't get to full finish but really enjoyed this 。。。more

Sara Broad ，

"Good Chemistry" is centered around the positive outcomes for people in need of different treatment methods for mental illness or those who are searching for deeper connections in their lives。 I appreciated the science behind Holland's research， and there are many similarities between this book and Michael Pollan's book。 Unfortunately， Holland's discussions are based around heteronormativity and privilege。 I think there are more interesting books out there。 "Good Chemistry" is centered around the positive outcomes for people in need of different treatment methods for mental illness or those who are searching for deeper connections in their lives。 I appreciated the science behind Holland's research， and there are many similarities between this book and Michael Pollan's book。 Unfortunately， Holland's discussions are based around heteronormativity and privilege。 I think there are more interesting books out there。 。。。more

Nikolai Miletskiy ，

Первая 1/3 книги вызвала море удовольствия от обилия интересных деталей которых я еще не встречал в другой литературе。 Остальное более стандартно， на мой вкус слишком много слов для объяснения простых и распостраненных идей。

Clem Paulsen ，

I had heard an interview with the author about microdosing LSD as a treatment for anxiety。 The amount of material presented on this subject here is tiny。 The rest of it is a compendium of some well-known CBT practices， worth reading， and well-presented， but not earth shattering if you're at all familiar with them。 So a bit of a letdown for me， but probably worth it for those just starting out for help on anxiety or depression。 I had heard an interview with the author about microdosing LSD as a treatment for anxiety。 The amount of material presented on this subject here is tiny。 The rest of it is a compendium of some well-known CBT practices， worth reading， and well-presented， but not earth shattering if you're at all familiar with them。 So a bit of a letdown for me， but probably worth it for those just starting out for help on anxiety or depression。 。。。more

Spencer ，

We are wired to find connection pleasurable， to reward a state of unity - because thats how we surviveLoneliness is the health equivalent of being obese or smoking 15 fags a day。 And is responsible for our opioid epidemic。 There are more veteran suicides than veteran war deaths- this has been true for the last 20 yrs。 Suicide rates are higher than ever across all demographics （and particularly among white men）SSRIs numb you to the reality of your life and make it so you loose the motivation to f We are wired to find connection pleasurable， to reward a state of unity - because thats how we surviveLoneliness is the health equivalent of being obese or smoking 15 fags a day。 And is responsible for our opioid epidemic。 There are more veteran suicides than veteran war deaths- this has been true for the last 20 yrs。 Suicide rates are higher than ever across all demographics （and particularly among white men）SSRIs numb you to the reality of your life and make it so you loose the motivation to fix the things in your life that arent working。 They make is difficult to fall in love and keep a mate。 They make you not mind that you are disconnected。 Our fight or flight （sympathetic） nervous system is not the key to our survival。 It is for an animal in the jungle。 Ours is the parasympathetic system。 This “protect and connect” （parasympathetic） system runs alongside the sympathetic system。 It is our natural state of balance， its relaxed， safe， like taking care of a baby or being taken care of， of orgasm， of being among friends， of comfort， or being in awe。 To flip into “para”:Breath through left nostril exhale slightly longer than InhaleDo nothingDo yoga - tie the mind to the bodySingFloatHug yourself and stroke your arms downwardYour body knows 。 shame splinters you， you needs to “come together” and have a unified self。 Self hatred comes from a split in the self somewhere。 Dont move away from experiencing your own emotions。 Articulate them to yourself so you can connect with yourselfEach couple needs to harmonize。 There is a balance in yourself， in your partnership， in families， in tribes， societies， ecosystemsEgo disintegration may be easier with another。 If our religion is based off on salvation， our chief emotions will be fear and trembling， if our religion is based on wonder， our chief emotion will be gratitude - jung 。。。more

Tibby Starks ，

This book was captivating， a fascinating and accessible explanation of the psychology and history of drug legality。 In addition to a fascinating dive into the scientific study of the effects of psychedelic medicines， this book taught me a lot about our search for meaning and our connection to nature。

Jan Peregrine ，

Good Chemistry~~Psychedelic drug therapy， monitored by experienced， medical professionals， has made a most welcome comeback in the twenty-first century throughout the world。 Having been shut down in the Sixties because of uncontrolled， experimentation by celebrities like Timothy Leary and Cary Grant， the research went underground for decades。 Now， led by esteemed psychiatrists with psychopharmacology panache like Julie Holland， MD， many clinical trials in the US are well underway。 Holland's late Good Chemistry~~Psychedelic drug therapy， monitored by experienced， medical professionals， has made a most welcome comeback in the twenty-first century throughout the world。 Having been shut down in the Sixties because of uncontrolled， experimentation by celebrities like Timothy Leary and Cary Grant， the research went underground for decades。 Now， led by esteemed psychiatrists with psychopharmacology panache like Julie Holland， MD， many clinical trials in the US are well underway。 Holland's latest book ，Good Chemistry: The Science of Connection， From Soul to Psychedelics， reveals in detail why connection to ourselves， our partners， our community， our planet， and our universe is crucial and how psychedelics can help us to do that when nothing else really will。I'm always interested in reading brilliant doctors like Holland who teach me more about the mysteries of the human brain and how the mind and body are inseparable partners invested in our flourishing。 This book was not the first I'd read about the thrilling benefits of psychedelic drug therapy for I read Michael Pollan's book How To Change Your Mind last year。Please note that the therapy is not just a blast from the past。 Not a throwback to hippie culture。 Our bodies evolved over millions of years with receptors or docks for psychedelic drugs to latch onto to help ease pain and depression， promote well-being in our soul， and support recovery from PTSD and dependence on opioids and alcohol， for example。 Cancer patients facing imminent demise can face it more easily with the therapy。Holland knows just why this happens and will tell us all about the good and bad sides of the “cuddly” hormone osytocin and how it interacts with our brain， damping down its fear center or amygdala， and helps us to connect in all the ways we need to。I want to highlight what she said about our connection to Earth。 Many climate change activists don't realize this， but people will only be turned off if the activist tries to scare or guilt a climate change denier。 Holland wisely advises that we instill a feeling of awe in people so they may feel a connection with our global home and care how they treat it。Perhaps we should also think of Earth as more than Mother Earth， hmm？Maybe it's more of an All Earth Lives Matter kind of thing。。。I highly recommend this book for all people who feel a great disconnect in their lives that nothing will fill。 As Holland points out， psychiatry originally meant medical care for the soul。 'Psyche' in Greek means soul。。 Let's hope our psychiatrists are soon allowed to help us restore our childhood souls and，， perhaps， even help people like me with an incomplete spinal cord injury to walk more easily because the damaged synapse connections have also been strengthened。 Julie Holland， perhaps too secular for theistic doctors， is obviously a down-to-earth kind of person who recommends listening to great music， taking quiet walks， and volunteering your time。 But I connect with her。 Soul is what you make it from your experiences。 So take her advice and you'll rev up your oxytocin！ 。。。more

Shelley ，

Good science and excellent writing。 this book was informative， educational， and personally helpful。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Good Chemistry: The Science of Connection from Soul to Psychedelics

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Good Chemistry: The Science of Connection from Soul to Psychedelics&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Good Chemistry: The Science of Connection from Soul to Psychedelics&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0