“Such an important book: so beautifully written and moving that it holds its journalistic rigor lightly. Whether you’re an enthusiastic psychonaut or have never heard of Timothy Leary, Empire of the Mind is a gripping tour through an area of science, health, and philosophy that is controversial, complex, and fascinating.” — Xand van Tulleken, author of Make Me Well: One Doctor's Quest to Understand the Confusing World of Wellness

“Turn on, tune in, cash out. This riveting expose reveals the big money and power trying to hijack the psychedelic revolution. The wild story spins from shocking cover ups to outlandish patent battles, revealing the enormous stakes in a hidden fight over the human mind.” —Christopher Leonard, author of Kochland and The Lords of Easy Money

“As psychedelics race toward acceptance as medications for our minds, Olivia Goldhill waves a much-needed and well-researched yellow flag. Empire of the Mind exposes the dark side of the gurus, research institutions, and industry players that have promoted psychedelics as nearly magical cures.” —Daniel Bergner, author of The Mind and the Moon: My Brother's Story, the Science of Our Brains, and the Search for Our Psyches

“Olivia Goldhill is a tenacious reporter, and Empire of the Mind is an insightful and compelling account of the forces shaping the psychedelic renaissance—a story of idealists, opportunism and the seemingly unshakable constraints of human nature. An essential read for understanding the strange new industry of altered states.” —Kimon de Greef, author of The Ego Trip: Psychedelic Toads, a Trail of Deaths, and the Guru Who Peddled Transcendence

Empire of the mind

Pre-order here (US) or here (UK)

In the race to turn old magic into new medicine, who will come out on top?

Psychedelics have been sold as a miracle cure for the mental health crisis of our age. To many, the possibility of a treatment for depression or trauma seems life-changing. But beneath the hype, the commodification of age-old substances found in nature reveals a profound clash of interests. And for the billionaire-backed entrepreneurs poised to profit from our pain, there’s a fortune at stake.

Investigative journalist Olivia Goldhill uncovers the dark underbelly of the psychedelic revolution, as governments scramble to keep pace, pharmaceutical giants lock horns with whistleblowers, and patients are left behind as collateral. With gripping on-the-ground reporting, Empire of the Mind sounds an urgent alarm about how one of the last vestiges of counterculture could be tamed into a capitalist product.

Olivia Goldhill has been writing on psychedelics for over a decade. She is a New America fellow, supported by Jonathan Logan Family Foundation, and is currently a features editor at New Scientist magazine. Her reporting has been recognized by the British Journalism Awards, the Medical Journalists’ Association Awards, the EPPY Awards, and the Livingston Awards, and she has written for publications including The New York Times, The Guardian, and STAT.