Psychedelic-induced creativity: Fact or fiction?

Lukas Basedow interviews Dr Natasha Mason for the MIND Foundation blog, about her groundbreaking research on psychedelic-induced creativity. The study, conducted at Maastricht University and published in Translational Psychiatry in 2021, explores the effects of psilocybin on creative cognition both during and after exposure.

Mason's research challenges common assumptions about psychedelics and creativity. Contrary to popular belief, participants performed worse on standardized creativity tasks while under the influence of psilocybin. However, they reported feeling more creative during the experience. Mason suggests this discrepancy might be due to the difference between deliberate, goal-directed creativity (which was measured) and spontaneous, unrestrained creativity (which participants may have experienced).

Interestingly, the study found a significant increase in the generation of novel ideas seven days after psilocybin administration. Mason explains this could be related to changes in brain network connectivity, particularly in the default mode network. The research highlights the complex relationship between psychedelics and creativity, emphasizing the need for further studies that consider different types of creative processes and overcome the limitations of traditional assessment methods.

Mason, N.L., Kuypers, K.P.C., Reckweg, J.T. et al. Spontaneous and deliberate creative cognition during and after psilocybin exposure. Translational Psychiatry 11, 209 (2021).