Spontaneous and deliberate creative cognition during and after psilocybin exposure
Natasha L. Mason, Kim P. C. Kuypers, Johannes T. Reckweg, Felix Müller, Desmond H. Y. Tse, B. Da Rios, Stefan W. Toennes, Peter Stiers, Amanda Feilding, Johannes G. Ramaekers
Translational Psychiatry April 8, 2021 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01335-5 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment with 0.17 mg/kg psilocybin shows that the drug affects creative thinking in time-dependent and task-specific ways. Immediately after consumption, psilocybin increased spontaneous creative insights but decreased deliberate, task-based creativity. Seven days later, participants generated more novel ideas. Brain imaging revealed that both acute and persisting effects were predicted by connectivity within and between networks of the default mode network. These results support historical claims that psychedelics can influence aspects of the creative process and may serve as tools for investigating creativity and its neural basis.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Placebo-controlled Double-blind Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Psilocybin |
| Dose | 0.17 mg/kg |
| Duration | 7-day follow-up |
| Topics | Default mode network Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Creativity Cognition Hallucinogen Cognitive psychology |
| Citations | 132 |
| Key finding | Psilocybin acutely increased spontaneous creative insights while decreasing deliberate task-based creativity, and after seven days increased the number of novel ideas, with effects predicted by default mode network connectivity. |
Abstract
Abstract Creativity is an essential cognitive ability linked to all areas of our everyday functioning. Thus, finding a way to enhance it is of broad interest. A large number of anecdotal reports suggest that the consumption of psychedelic drugs can enhance creative thinking; however, scientific evidence is lacking. Following a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group design, we demonstrated that psilocybin (0.17 mg/kg) induced a time- and construct-related differentiation of effects on creative thinking. Acutely, psilocybin increased ratings of (spontaneous) creative insights, while decreasing (deliberate) task-based creativity. Seven days after psilocybin, number of novel ideas increased. Furthermore, we utilized an ultrahigh field multimodal brain imaging approach, and found that acute and persisting effects were predicted by within- and between-network connectivity of the default mode network. Findings add some support to historical claims that psychedelics can influence aspects of the creative process, potentially indicating them as a tool to investigate creativity and subsequent underlying neural mechanisms. Trial NL6007; psilocybin as a tool for enhanced cognitive flexibility; https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/6007 .