September 28, 2026

What Humans, Animals and Plants Tell Us About Consciousness | Michael Pollan

Michael Pollan is a renowned author, journalist and professor at UC Berkeley. He is best known for his influential works on how humans and plants have shaped each other at the level of food, medicine, health, and culture. In this episode we discuss consciousness—what it is and how the recognition between our self vs others contributes to-- but also can impair, certain aspects of conscious experience. We discuss psychedelics, the microbiome, caffeine, and how the unconscious dialogue between our body and brain impacts our thoughts and feelings. Pollan offers a hopeful perspective on how our relationship with plants and animals – including other humans, can lead us to a healthier, and far richer experience of life. Read the full episode show notes at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/huberman Function: https://functionhealth.com/huberman Mateina: https://drinkmateina.com Rorra: https://rorra.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Michael Pollan (00:02:50) Wendell Berry, Nature (00:06:30) Consciousness; Sentience (00:10:04) Environmental Response, Plant Intelligence; Self-Recognition (00:13:52) Sponsors: Eight Sleep & Rorra (00:20:49) Plants, Communication, Sentience, Symbiosis (00:27:37) Self-Awareness, Time; Xenobots, Instinct (00:34:32) Microbiome, Influence & Symbiosis (00:40:28) Meaning; Cortex vs Brain Stem, Homeostatic Feelings (00:47:17) Sponsor: AG1 (00:48:36) Body & Brain Communication, Vagus Nerve (00:57:21) Collective Consciousness, Psychedelics, Ego, Awe (01:08:14) Filter Theories of Consciousness (01:13:28) Sponsor: Function (01:15:06) AI, Consciousness, Feelings; Memory; Quantum Effects (01:21:27) Childhood, Gardening, Interacting with Nature (01:27:08) Hope, Nature & Agency, Food Industry (01:32:21) Advocacy, Psychedelics, Food Industry (01:39:50) Sponsor: Mateina (01:44:52) Psychedelics, Ibogaine, Veterans, Politics; MDMA, Psilocybin; Risk (01:52:18) Caffeine, Caffeine Fast, Health Benefits (02:00:21) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow, Reviews & Feedback, Sponsors, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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About this Show

Huberman Lab

The Huberman Lab podcast is hosted by Andrew Huberman, Ph.D., a neuroscientist and tenured professor in the department of neurobiology, and by courtesy, psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford School of Medicine. The podcast discusses neuroscience and science-based tools, including how our brain and its connections with the organs of our body control our perceptions, our behaviors, and our health, as well as existing and emerging tools for measuring and changing how our nervous system works. Huberman has made numerous significant contributions to the fields of brain development, brain function, and neural plasticity, which is the ability of our nervous system to rewire and learn new behaviors, skills, and cognitive functioning. He is a McKnight Foundation and Pew Foundation Fellow and was awarded the Cogan Award, given to the scientist making the most significant discoveries in the study of vision, in 2017. Work from the Huberman Laboratory at Stanford School of Medicine has been published in top journals, including Nature, Science, and Cell, and has been featured in TIME, BBC, Scientific American, Discover, and other top media outlets. In 2021, Dr. Huberman launched the Huberman Lab podcast. The podcast is frequently ranked in the top 10 of all podcasts globally and is often ranked #1 in the categories of Science, Education, and Health & Fitness.