B. Hommel

Altered states of consciousness and creativity

January 1, 2020 Luisa Prochazkova, B. Hommel

Altered states of consciousness (ASC) can affect creative performance, particularly convergent and divergent thinking, by shifting the brain's metacontrol state. A metacontrol framework explains how factors such as drugs, meditation, and hallucinations bias information processing toward either persistence (beneficial for convergent thinking) or flexibility (beneficial for divergent thinking). The review identifies a general trend that ASC-inducing factors alter metacontrol states, with more systematic research needed to clarify these effects.