Over the years, many people have come into our shop and told us their experience of taking psychedelics has enhanced their creativity. Their ability to think ‘outside of the box’, to go on thought tangents, to consider things in ways they never have before.
This is a common story within the psychedelic space – people feeling more free in their thoughts and feelings. It is potentially also thought that the ability to think creatively can help with psychological disorders such as depression and anxiety – as these disorders lie in rigidity and structured thinking, where people struggle to consider other ways of thinking. If psychedelics are claimed to increase creativity, this can have major repercussions for understanding the mediating effects that psychedelics have on these disorders.
But what is the scientific validity of this claim? A study by our neighbors at Maastricht University considered this question:
The Study
First they considered creativity in two elements:
- Divergent thinking – the side of creativity that involves generating novel and unique ideas – abstract and tangential thoughts
- Convergent thinking – the side of creativity that evaluates these ideas and their effectiveness and usefulness
Brain Networks Associated With Creativity
And the brain networks associated with creativity:
- Default Mode Network (DMN) – linked to idea generation
- Frontoparietal Control Network (FCN) – linked to idea evaluation
- Salience Network – controls the shift between the DMN and the FCN
As psychedelics have been shown to increase DMN activity (Carhart-Harris), it is proposed that this increase in activity will mediate greater divergent thinking and idea generation. Further, it is proposed that psychedelics would decrease convergent thinking and structured idea assessment – which would be predicted by increased functional connectivity between the DMN and FCN.
The Hypothesis
In layman’s terms, the hypothesis is that:
- Psilocybin will increase idea generation and novelty (divergent thinking)
- Psilocybin will decrease the assessment and evaluation of ideas (convergent thinking)
Method
- One experimental group who took psilocybin & one placebo group
- Were assessed on creativity and underwent brain scans at three time periods:
- Before psilocybin use
- During psilocybin use – 0.17 mg/kg
- Post psilocybin use (7 days later)
Results
1. Idea Generation and Novelty (Divergent Thinking)
- Aspects of divergent thinking were decreased during the psychedelic trip
- Aspects of divergent thinking were increased 7 days after the psychedelic trip
2. Assessment and Evaluation of Ideas (Convergent Thinking)
Convergent thinking was decreased during and after the psychedelic trip
3. Subjective Insightfulness
Reported subjective feelings of insightfulness during the psychedelic trip
Discussion
This study found that fluency and originality (aspects of divergent thinking) were decreased during the psychedelic trip. This was best predicted by decreased functionality connectivity within the posterior DMN. However, subjective ratings of spontaneous creativity were increased.
- This means that measurable aspects of creativity, more specifically divergent thinking, were decreased DURING the trip, participants still felt creative and more able to make free associations within their minds
However, novelty (an aspect of divergent thinking) increased 7 days after the trip. This was best predicted by decreased connectivity within the posterior DMN and within the anterior DMN.
- This means that spontaneous creativity as a result of psilocybin use, was more likely to be observed once the effects of the drug had left the system.
When considering convergent thinking, the ability to assess and evaluate ideas for everyday use was decreased both during the trip and after, compared to the placebo group.
- This means that the rigid thought structure of idea evaluation was decreased both during and after the trip.
What Could This Mean for Mental Health and Creativity?
Overall, these results have promise for the medical world – indicating that structured convergent thinking may decrease, which can imply that the rigid thought patterns observed in depression and anxiety may be able to be decreased following psilocybin use.
Further, novel idea generation following a psychedelic trip may have more everyday implications and be applied to those in creative industries, but also in general work and school life.
Scientific Source
Mason, N. L., Kuypers, K. P. C., Reckweg, J. T., Muller, F., Tse, D. H. Y., Da Rios, B., Toennes, S. W., Stiers, P., Feilding, A., & Ramaekers, J. G. (2021). Spontaneous and deliberate creative cognition during and after psilocybin exposure. Translational Psychiatry, 11(1), Article 209.
