Jekyll and Hyde Revisited: Paradoxes in the Appreciation of Drug Experiences and Their Effects on Creativity
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs September 1, 2002 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2002.10399961 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Feeling Possession linguistics Creativity Experiential learning Irrational number Agency philosophy Aesthetics Psychoanalysis Epistemology |
| Citations | 13 |
| Key points | Argues that the cultural dichotomy of interpreting intoxication as either possession or liberation obscures the paradoxical nature of the drug experience, which can involve both feelings simultaneously. |
Abstract
Historically, states of intoxication--like dreams and madness--are seen in either one of two opposed ways. The intoxicated are either "possessed" or "under the influence" of an external agency, or revealing hidden feelings or truths (in vino veritas). Along the same lines, artists who worked during LSD, mescalin or psilocybin intoxication often refer to feelings of either being "possessed" or "liberated," a difference that can be explained partly by their expectations and partly by their evaluations, which both tend to conform to the cultural dichotomy in interpreting the irrational. Both interpretations, however, tend to obscure not only the other, but also-it is posited-the paradoxical nature of the drug experience itself. Analysis of a protocol shows that intoxication might comprise feelings of "possession" as well as "liberation" almost simultaneously, and mediumistic and some psychedelic art shows stylistic traits that can be seen as the visual expressions of both these feelings. It seems that the "demoniacal" and "psychedelic" mode come together in experiential reality, only to be divided in the cultural sphere.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on psilocybin, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| REBUS and the Anarchic Brain: Toward a Unified Model of the Brain Action of Psychedelics | 2019 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Psychedelics as Medicines: An Emerging New Paradigm General population | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Theorizing that Psychedelic Assisted Therapy May Play a Role in the Treatment of Trauma-Induced Personality Disorders. | 2024 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| What Geometric Visual Hallucinations Tell Us about the Visual Cortex | 2002 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Psilocybin-assisted therapy of major depressive disorder using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a therapeutic frame | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- Phenomenology, Structure, and Dynamic of Psychedelic States Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences 2016
- Psychedelics and creativity: a review of the quantitative literature
- The Bright Side of Psychedelics: Latest Advances and Challenges in Neuropharmacology International Journal of Molecular Sciences January 10, 2023
- Occurrence and use of hallucinogenic mushrooms containing psilocybin alkaloids TemaNord May 19, 2009
- American Trip The MIT Press eBooks July 14, 2020
and 1 more in the library