The Associations of Naturalistic Classic Psychedelic Use, Mystical Experience, and Creative Problem Solving
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs October 8, 2016 Noah W Sweat, Larry W. Bates, Peter S. Hendricks 48 citations
People who have used classic psychedelics and also had a mystical experience solved a creative problem-solving task faster than those who had not, with a large effect. However, the amount of lifetime mystical experience did not predict task performance, indicating that mystical experience does not explain the link between psychedelic use and creativity. The findings suggest that classic psychedelics may enhance creativity through mechanisms separate from those that produce mystical experiences, and that inducing mystical experiences may not be necessary for creativity-boosting interventions.