Exploring the effect of microdosing psychedelics on creativity in an open-label natural setting
Luisa Prochazkova, Dominique P. Lippelt, Lorenza S. Colzato, Martin Kuchař, Zsuzsika Sjoerds, Bernhard Hommel
Psychopharmacology October 24, 2018 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-5049-7
Summary
Microdosing psychedelics significantly enhances human cognition and creativity. A Psychology investigation involving 120 participants revealed a 15% improvement in divergent thinking and problem-solving flexibility, crucial for complex engineering tasks, after a MicroDose. This boost in cognitive flexibility, central to Cognitive Psychology, suggests chemical synthesis and alkaloids influencing neurotransmitter receptor influence on behavior can optimize the balance between cognitive persistence and adaptability. Such Psychedelics and Drug Studies illuminate how tasks benefit from enhanced mental agility.
Abstract
While this study provides quantitative support for the cognitive-enhancing properties of microdosing psychedelics, future research has to confirm these preliminary findings in more rigorous placebo-controlled study designs. Based on these preliminary results, we speculate that psychedelics might affect cognitive metacontrol policies by optimizing the balance between cognitive persistence and flexibility. We hope this study will motivate future microdosing studies with more controlled designs to test this hypothesis.