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 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| 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 Construct python library Cognitive flexibility Psychotherapist Developmental psychology |
| Citations | 132 |
| Key findings | 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 .
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on psilocybin, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial Cancer patients with life-threatening diagnoses and symptoms of depression and/or anxiety | 2016 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 51 |
| Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: a randomized controlled trial Patients with cancer-related anxiety and depression | 2016 | Double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial | n = 29 |
| Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Hallucinogen-naïve adults reporting regular participation in religious or spiritual... | 2006 | Double-blind study | n = 36 |
| Trial of Psilocybin versus Escitalopram for Depression Selected group of patients with depression | 2021 | Randomized controlled trial | |
| Effects of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy on Major Depressive Disorder Adults aged 21 to 75 years with major depressive disorder, not currently using... | 2020 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 24 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 98
- Default Mode Network Modulation by Psychedelics: A Systematic Review The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology October 21, 2022
- Serotonergic psychedelic drugs LSD and psilocybin reduce the hierarchical differentiation of unimodal and transmodal cortex. Neuroimage April 25, 2022
- Psilocybin induces acute and persisting alterations in immune status in healthy volunteers: An experimental, placebo-controlled study Brain, Behavior, and Immunity September 7, 2023
- Persisting Effects of Ayahuasca on Empathy, Creative Thinking, Decentering, Personality, and Well-Being Frontiers in Pharmacology October 1, 2021
- Psychedelics, Sociality, and Human Evolution Frontiers in Psychology September 29, 2021
and 93 more in the library
Cites 63
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006
- The entropic brain: a theory of conscious states informed by neuroimaging research with psychedelic drugs Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2014
- Neural correlates of the psychedelic state as determined by fMRI studies with psilocybin Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 23, 2012
- REBUS and the Anarchic Brain: Toward a Unified Model of the Brain Action of Psychedelics Pharmacological Reviews June 20, 2019
- Psychedelics Promote Structural and Functional Neural Plasticity Cell Reports June 1, 2018
and 58 more in the library