When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.” — John Muir
Co-presented by the John Adams Institute and the Rode Hoed, Michael Pollan explores his upcoming book A World Appears, showing that our minds, like the natural world Muir observed, 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.
In yet another in-depth investigation, Pollan introduces us to plant neurobiologists searching for signs of awareness in greenery, psychologists mapping the contours of subjective experience, and AI researchers experimenting with feelings. Through these investigations, he shows that consciousness is more than a private phenomenon: it shapes our choices, relationships, and communities.
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.
About the speaker
Michael Pollan
is the author of multiple New York Times bestsellers, including The Omnivore’s Dilemma, How to Change Your Mind (transformed by Netflix into a television series), and A World Appears. Across his career, he has explored the intersections of humans, nature, and consciousness, blending scientific rigor with literary and philosophical insight. In this event to mark the Dutch release of his latest work, Pollan will guide us into the laboratories of our own minds, encouraging reflection on how awareness, curiosity, and moral imagination shape both our private lives and the civic life we share.
Moderator
Wouter van Noort (moderator) is the Opinion Editor at NRC, where he navigates the ideas and forces shaping our world. He brings a sharp, inquisitive perspective to conversations that probe the boundaries of thought, perception, and society. On stage with Michael Pollan, van Noort will guide the dialogue, drawing connections between individual awareness and the broader questions of how we live, decide, and engage with one another.
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