Investigating the interaction between schizotypy, divergent thinking and cannabis use
Consciousness and Cognition January 10, 2012 Gráinne Schäfer, Amanda Feilding, Celia J. A. Morgan et al. 60 citations
Cannabis acutely increases schizotypy and chronic use is linked to higher rates of psychosis. Creative individuals tend to have higher schizotypy, but the connection between cannabis, schizotypy, and creativity had not been studied. In 160 cannabis users tested sober and intoxicated, cannabis increased verbal fluency in low-creative individuals to the same level as high-creative individuals. Cannabis also increased state psychosis-like symptoms in both groups. High-creativity participants had significantly higher trait schizotypy, but this was not linked to the verbal fluency change. Acute cannabis use enhances divergent thinking, measured by verbal fluency, specifically in those with low trait creativity.