New research sheds new light on apparent links between the use of psychedelic drugs and creativity. This helps reinforce existing anecdotal connections between these substances and inspiration.
The results of a study of 326 participants published this month in PLOS One indicate that those who used psychedelics had a greater “sense” of connectedness, a better creative capacity, and more creativity than their non-user counterparts.
Authors wrote that the results “solidify the role (of connectedness) to the self as a possible psychological reason for psychedelics could enhance creativity.”
The study states that “a cross-sectional survey online showed people using psychedelics feel more connected” (to themselves, others and the world). They produced more original and fluent ideas, and showed an increase in creative activities.
They continued by saying that psychedelic users have not only a greater creative potential, but also act differently every day. The psychedelic drug users seem to be more inclined towards music and open-ended engineering and scientific problems.
These findings support the link between creativity and self-reported use of psychedelic drugs.
Participants—187 adult psychedelics users and 139 adult non-users—completed an task meant to measure aspects of creativity and also provided responses to a questionnaire. For the purposes of this study, participants who had at least used one classic psychedelic were considered to be users. They also were asked how many times they used these substances overall as well as their dosage from “their last particularly relevant psychedelic” experience.
Nine out of 10 (90 percent) users had positive experiences, and most (51%) experienced what researchers called “a medium trip”; they were also intentional about their use (65%). 90% of users had positive experience, most (51%), had what the researchers called a “medium trip”, and they were deliberate about using them (65%). Over a third (36%) stayed inside, while nature was the second most popular setting (30%).
The survey revealed that psychedelics users rate their “sense connectedness” higher than non-users. Those who “reported a greater number of psychedelic experience also rated [their] connectedness higher.”
As hypothesized, the research team from University of Graz in Austria found that there is a marked difference between non-users and psychedelics users with regard to fluency and originality. The researchers found that psychedelic users had more creative ideas, and were more fluent in their ideas than non-users.
The study found that people who used psychedelic drugs felt more connected with themselves and others.
Psychedelic users also tend to be older and have higher levels of education. They are more likely to use drugs in the last three months as well as over their entire lifetime. The study also found that psychedelics users were more likely to have a higher level of education, be older and more unemployed.
Further, the authors said that increased creativity could be partially responsible for some “maladaptive impacts” and risks associated with using psychedelics.
The heightened creative ability of the human mind, which allows us to perceive threats and dangers in novel ways, may be partly responsible for these negative side effects.
The study found that psychedelic drug users and non-users were similar in every way. It found that, for instance, the scores on life satisfaction and overall happiness were about the same in both groups.
The study’s authors did not explore traits such as curiosity and openness. The authors noted that since both personality characteristics are related to creativity and psychedelic use, these traits may serve as alternate explanations for why users of psychedelics are more innovative than non-users.
As for other possible influences from psychedelic drug use, a separate report last year from researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that—contrary to some earlier evidence—a single psilocybin experience isn’t likely to make an atheist believe in God or dispel someone’s sense of free will. The experience could lead to the idea that plants, animals or objects such as rocks and robots are conscious.
While participants in that study reported small differences in certain perceptions of consciousness after the psychedelic experiences—being more likely to attribute consciousness to primates or insects, for example—their religious and metaphysical beliefs didn’t significantly change.
In a study that was published this year by PLOS One on adults who meditate regularly, it was found that 3 out of 4 thought that using psychedelics improved the quality and effectiveness of their meditation.
According to the authors, respondents are more likely than others to describe positive effects when they use psychedelic substances regularly. They also report more favorable results if their personalities were agreeable, if they had used DMT before, or gathered more information about psychedelics.
A separate study released in 2023 found that people who practiced yoga after consuming marijuana experienced heightened mindfulness and mysticality, indicating that setting and behavior also played an important role in modulating a person’s experience.
In the conclusion of that article, “the study’s findings generally indicate that how you behave while you are experiencing cannabis effects is important.” This study, which mirrors psychedelics in its approach to cannabis usage, supports the idea that the setting and the time of day can have a significant impact on the drug’s therapeutic benefits.
Another study, published last year, found that people who’d used multiple different formulations of psilocybin—including whole mushrooms, mycological extract and a lab-synthesized version—typically preferred whole mushrooms, which they describe as not only more effective but also “more alive and vibrant.”
Another study from last year, which explored the role of psilocybin mushrooms in the evolution of human consciousness, said the psychedelic has the “potential to trigger significant neurological and psychological effects” that could have influenced the development of our species over time.
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