Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
Co-presented by the John Adams Institute and the Rode Hoed, Michael Pollan explored his book 'A World Appears', showing that our minds are never truly isolated—they are entwined with our own selves, with others, and with the communities we inhabit.
From the number one New York Times bestselling author of 'How to Change Your Mind', Pollan embarks on a sweeping inquiry into consciousness: what it is, how it arises, and what it means to be aware. He traces the unmapped terrain of the mind, drawing lessons from neuroscience, philosophy, literature, psychedelics, and even the natural world, to ask how our inner experiences shape the way we understand ourselves and the world around us.
As the United States reflects on 250 years of self-governance, Pollan—beloved for his curiosity and clarity as one of America’s foremost cultural interpreters—offers a subtle parallel, asking what awareness itself might reveal about how we live together. Just as the nation grapples with the ideals of liberty, responsibility, and civic participation, each of us navigates the mysteries of selfhood, attention, and awareness. 'A World Appears' invites us to consider how understanding our own minds, as well as the inner workings of perception, thought, and feeling, can deepen our engagement with the broader experiment of democracy itself.
Recorded at the Rode Hoed, Amsterdam on March 24th. Moderater: Wouter van Noort.
Co-presented by the John Adams Institute and the Rode Hoed, Michael Pollan explored his book 'A World Appears', showing that our minds are never truly isolated—they are entwined with our own selves, with others, and with the communities we inhabit.
From the number one New York Times bestselling author of 'How to Change Your Mind', Pollan embarks on a sweeping inquiry into consciousness: what it is, how it arises, and what it means to be aware. He traces the unmapped terrain of the mind, drawing lessons from neuroscience, philosophy, literature, psychedelics, and even the natural world, to ask how our inner experiences shape the way we understand ourselves and the world around us.
As the United States reflects on 250 years of self-governance, Pollan—beloved for his curiosity and clarity as one of America’s foremost cultural interpreters—offers a subtle parallel, asking what awareness itself might reveal about how we live together. Just as the nation grapples with the ideals of liberty, responsibility, and civic participation, each of us navigates the mysteries of selfhood, attention, and awareness. 'A World Appears' invites us to consider how understanding our own minds, as well as the inner workings of perception, thought, and feeling, can deepen our engagement with the broader experiment of democracy itself.
Recorded at the Rode Hoed, Amsterdam on March 24th. Moderater: Wouter van Noort.
