The Associations of Naturalistic Classic Psychedelic Use, Mystical Experience, and Creative Problem Solving

Abstract

Developing methods for improving creativity is of broad interest. Classic psychedelics may enhance creativity; however, the underlying mechanisms of action are unknown. This study was designed to assess whether a relationship exists between naturalistic classic psychedelic use and heightened creative problem-solving ability and if so, whether this is mediated by lifetime mystical experience. Participants (N = 68) completed a survey battery assessing lifetime mystical experience and circumstances surrounding the most memorable experience. They were then administered a functional fixedness task in which faster completion times indicate greater creative problem-solving ability. Participants reporting classic psychedelic use concurrent with mystical experience (n = 11) exhibited significantly faster times on the functional fixedness task (Cohen's d = -.87; large effect) and significantly greater lifetime mystical experience (Cohen's d = .93; large effect) than participants not reporting classic psychedelic use concurrent with mystical experience. However, lifetime mystical experience was unrelated to completion times on the functional fixedness task (standardized β = -.06), and was therefore not a significant mediator. Classic psychedelic use may increase creativity independent of its effects on mystical experience. Maximizing the likelihood of mystical experience may need not be a goal of psychedelic interventions designed to boost creativity.

Dreamlike effects of LSD on waking imagery in humans depend on serotonin 2A receptor activation

“…This latter notion is supported by the result that discontinuous, incongruent imaginary content in terms of plot, character, objects or actions accounted for the largest component of cognitive bizarreness during LSD (Figure 2). Furthermore, this is supported by a growing body of literature (Sweat et al 2016, Baggott 2015, Sessa 2008, Leuner 1973 indicating that psychedelics induce a state of broadened consciousness that is associated with a different cognitive style, including facilitated access to remote semantic associations (Family et al 2016, Spitzer et al 1996, Rittenhouse et al 1994; cross-modal fusion between sensory modalities (synaesthesia), perception and feeling (physiognomic perception) and imagery and perception (eidetic imagery) (Terhune et al 2016, Sinke et al 2012, Glicksohn 1992; thinking in metaphors and symbols (Lakoff 1993, Martindale and Fischer 1977, Landon and Fischer 1970; enhanced problem solving capabilities (Frecska et al 2012, Sio et al 2013, Ullrich et al 2004; and increased topographically long-range neuronal connectivity in the brain (Achermann et al 2016, Petri et al 2014, Massimini et al 2010. Taken together, these findings suggest that creative thinking may be an important mechanism behind cognitive bizarreness, where there is increased binding of logically incompatible, but associatively remotely connected, features into new phenomenological Gestalts (Rittenhouse et al 1994).…”

Dreams and Psychedelics: Neurophenomenological Comparison and Therapeutic Implications

“…Imaginary exposure to fear-conditioned memory may be a crucial function in both states. Third, cognition in dreams and psychedelic states may both decrease logical and increase associative reasoning, similar with creative thinking [ 121 , 127 - 130 ]. This may be related to deactivations in prefrontal control regions such as DLPFC.…”

Unifying Theories of Psychedelic Drug Effects

“…Cognitive flexibility (or ‘loosening’ of cognition) and optimism can remain for up to 2 weeks after the main acute drug effects have dissipated ( Carhart-Harris et al, 2016b ). Furthermore, long-term increases in creative problem-solving ability ( Sweat et al, 2016 ) and personality trait openness ( MacLean et al, 2011 ; Lebedev et al, 2016 ) have been measured after just one psychedelic experience.…”