Coinciding with the release of sinister human drug experimentation comedy Spiderhead, Netflix have published a trailer for How to Change Your Mind, a four part documentary series about the psychedelic drugs LSD, psilocybin, MDMA, and mescaline.

Pharmacology wouldn't typically be of interest to our site but this series is noteworthy for its relation to both Spiderhead and another recently announced Netflix documentary series The Future Of.

Spiderhead is set in a facility which conducts experiments on prisoners using mind altering drugs.

The film's tone is a bit comical but the premise is decidedly diabolical.

Then we have Netflix releasing this series based on a book by Michael Pollan who says:

The current renaissance in psychedelic research has been the most compelling and hopeful story I’ve covered in thirty years as a journalist. But it’s one thing to describe the powerful effects of these substances in a book, and quite another to evoke that experience, and its incredible potential for healing, on the screen, as the Netflix adaptation of How to Change Your Mind has masterfully done.

Tonally it's in a completely different space from the film.

In the synopsis for The Future Of there's the following line:

We can, and should, expect more from the future than the dystopia promised in current science fiction.

Coincidence or recurring theme?

We're also curious about the timing.

This announcement being made on the same day as Spiderhead's release is very likely not a coincidence but Netflix have made their fortune in part on being able to instantly gratify demand for content, eg. releasing episodes for a series all at once rather than weekly.

Yet this documentary series is a month away.

How to Change Your Mind will release on Netflix on July 12.

[ Main Image: How to Change Your Mind trailer. Credit: Netflix via YouTube. ]

References

Netflix (June 17, 2022). How to Change Your Mind | Official Trailer | Netflix. YouTube.

White, Peter (June 16, 2022). Mind-Altering Drug Docuseries Lined Up At Netflix From Alex Gibney & Michael Pollan. Deadline.