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'I thought sex was over at 65': Michael Pollan on 50 years of marriage, ego death and what psychedelics taught him about love

The celebrated author discusses sex, monogamy and consciousness in a candid interview as part of Good Weekend's dice-roll feature.

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time2 min
Sources3 outlets
Michael Pollan, the 71-year-old American author of The Omnivore's Dilemma and How to Change Your Mind, has revealed that he once believed sex ended at 65, reflecting on a 50-year marriage that began in his youth. In an interview with Benjamin Law for the Good Weekend supplement, published across Australian metropolitan newspapers, Pollan spoke about sex education, serial monogamy and his psychedelic experiences.

Pollan, whose latest book is A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness, discussed the topic of sex after rolling a die that landed on the subject as part of the weekly feature. He described his early sex education as 'a lot of trial and error' and recalled misinformation he encountered as a 13-year-old in the late 1960s. 'There were conversations among boys about sex, but it wasn't frank conversation: just guys boasting, and there was a lot of misinformation,' he said. Pollan added that he learned 'a lot later' from partners and has been 'serially monogamous' since high school.

When asked how long he has been with his wife, Pollan answered: 'Fifty years.' He attributed the enduring attraction to her being 'a somewhat mysterious person who wasn't putting all her cards on the table' and said she was and remains 'very attractive.'

The interview also touched on psychedelics. Pollan, who has written extensively about psilocybin and ego death in How to Change Your Mind, described one experience under the influence of psilocybin: 'I had this sense that I had exploded into a cloud of blue Post-it Notes.' The exchange was included as part of a broader discussion on how psychedelics can be used 'sometimes to meet their ending,' referencing the way people use such substances to confront mortality.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • Pollan's rare personal reflections offer insight into how a leading intellectual on psychedelics and consciousness navigates long-term relationships.
  • The interview touches on themes of aging, intimacy and the ongoing relevance of psychedelic experiences for personal growth.
  • His new book, A World Appears, promises to further explore the nature of consciousness, a topic of growing public and scientific interest.

Background

Michael Pollan is an American journalist and author known for his investigations into food, agriculture and psychedelics. His 2018 book How to Change Your Mind helped catalyze a cultural shift in attitudes toward psilocybin and other substances, contributing to a resurgence in clinical research. Now 71, Pollan is releasing his tenth book, A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness, which continues his exploration of the mind. The interview, part of a long-running series in which subjects roll a die to determine discussion topics, reveals a more private side of the writer.

Key Perspectives

[Michael Pollan]: He presents a view of sex and romance as ongoing journeys of discovery rather than fixed endpoints. His 50-year marriage is framed as the product of early commitment and enduring mystery. [Critics of psychedelic use]: The interview touches on ego-death experiences that some find destabilizing, though Pollan's experience (described humorously as exploding into Post-it Notes) highlights the subjective and often ineffable nature of such states. [Aging and intimacy]: Pollan's admission that he 'thought sex was over at 65' challenges assumptions about sexuality in later life, a topic of increasing relevance as populations age.

What to Watch

  • Publication and reception of A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness.
  • Further research into the therapeutic use of psilocybin for end-of-life anxiety, which Pollan has championed.
  • Potential crossover between Pollan's personal reflections and broader cultural conversations about relationships in older age.

Sources

Zotpaper

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