Psychedelics and Creativity

What’s the Link?

Last week I attended a talk given by a member of the Institute for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London. I learnt about the booming field of research into psychedelics for treatment of depression, PTSD, ADHD, amongst other neurological conditions.

I learnt something I found deeply fascinating. During a psychedelic trip there seems to be decreased activation across the brain, and specifically in an area of the brain called the Default Mode Network (DMN). This is a network of brain areas associated with self-referential information, such as ruminating on past actions, thinking of autobiographical memories, even daydreaming. Now, this may seem quite intuitive that under the influence of psychedelics you are somewhat more removed from thinking about yourself. People often talk of feeling of being outside of or transcending oneself, not attached to an ego. 

The DMN is also a brain area heavily researched in neuroscience of creativity and it seems to play a key role in creative expression. Each time you play an instrument, walk through an art gallery, engage in play, there seems to be activation in the DMN.

Psychedelics and Creativity have had a relationship that goes back centuries. Psychedelics have long since been used as a way of opening up the mind to new ways of thinking and perceiving. Creative expression involves experimenting with ideas and new, novel ways of doing that haven’t been done before. Therefore, it is not surprising that there has been crossover between the two, perhaps linked by an openness to new experiences.

So, why then is a brain network so that plays a key role in creativity not also highly active under the influence of psychedelics?

Let’s take a deep dive, what’s really going on under the hood under the influence of psychedelics? Research from neuroscience laboratories from the likes of UCL, Imperial College London, John Hopkins Universities, has shown that, when we take psychedelics, as well as there being decreased activation in the DMN, there appears hyperconnectivity across brain regions. This lateral connectivity across a breadth of brain areas is most prevalent in the cerebral cortex, a part of the brain associated with higher level associative thinking.

How does this occur? Psychedelics bind to 5-HT2A serotonin receptors across the cerebral cortex resulting in a mass depolarisation of neuronal wiring and breaking down routine ways of thinking. During a psychedelic trip we see decreased activity across the brain, especially in areas called the anterior and posterior cingulate cortex which are hubs of cognitive integration and sensorimotor processing.

But what does this mean? By turning down the lights on directive portions of the brain, you’re allowing the brain to direct itself. Professor David Nutt, Director of the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London, uses the analogy of a conductor of an orchestra, by taking away the conductor you’re allowing the orchestra to play what it likes. 

Afterwards there seems to be increased connectivity between the DMN and other areas of the prefrontal cortex, resulting in greater capacity for divergent thinking up to 7 days after taking psychedelics. Interestingly, some studies have reported a decrease in convergent thinking, or creative problem solving, several days after treatment.

So it seems that the ability to come up with novel ideas can be benefited by psychedelics, but why is this? 

There are a few theories to consider. Firstly, it may be the case that the onset decrease in activation during the influence of psychedelics may provoke a sudden uptake in activation in the following days after the event, making people more creative in the days after. 

Secondly, this idea of hyperconnectivity that happens under the influence of psychedelics the enables a breadth of connections between parts of the brain not usually working in tandem with one another, may provide an onset resulting frame of mind that is best primed for creativity. You’ve in a sense already done the work prerequisite to put yourself in good stead for some bursts of creativity.

The last thing to consider is that, perhaps the very experience of doing psychedelics leaves a person in a more open minded state of being. So that in the days following they may be more likely to notice things that come across their path, or be open to exploring new pathways and ideas that beforehand, they may have shut down for not being directly linked to the task at hand. 

I think that there are nuggets that can be taken from all of these theories. One thing is for certain, taking psychedelics rewires your brain. Now, this can be for the better, but of course, as with any mind altering activity, the conditions under which you partake are important. A bad trip can lead to reinforcing pathways between ideas and brain states that aren’t necessarily conducive to a positive experience. 

So, before you start planning a wild trip to set you up creatively for the coming months, it’s important to think about where you are in your own mind, where you are located, if it’s a safe space, or if you’re feeling anxious, perhaps the conditions aren’t optimal. *

But one thing I learned from the talk last week, is that research into psychedelics is providing really promising alternative treatments for conditions such as depression, ADHD, and PTSD. Psychedelics might also just be a brilliant facilitator for greater idea generation.

*If you have a family history of schizotypy or psychosis, it’s advisable to refrain from taking psychedelics to avoid the possibility of triggering a negative response onset by a genetic predisposition to these tendencies.