title: Ayahuasca enhances creative divergent thinking while decreasing conventional convergent thinking.
abstract: Ayahuasca is a South American psychotropic plant tea traditionally used in Amazonian shamanism. The tea contains the psychedelic 5-HT2A receptor agonist N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), plus β-carboline alkaloids with monoamine oxidase-inhibiting properties. Increasing evidence from anecdotal reports and open-label studies indicates that ayahuasca may have therapeutic effects in treatment of substance use disorders and depression. A recent study on the psychological effects of ayahuasca found that the tea reduces judgmental processing and inner reactivity, classic goals of mindfulness psychotherapy. Another psychological facet that could potentially be targeted by ayahuasca is creative divergent thinking. This mode of thinking can enhance and strengthen psychological flexibility by allowing individuals to generate new and effective cognitive, emotional, and behavioral strategies. The present study aimed to assess the potential effects of ayahuasca on creative thinking.
  
  
  
  We visited two spiritual ayahuasca workshops and invited participants to conduct creativity tests before and during the acute effects of ayahuasca. In total, 26 participants consented. Creativity tests included the "pattern/line meanings test" (PLMT) and the "picture concept test" (PCT), both assessing divergent thinking and the latter also assessing convergent thinking.
  
  
  
  While no significant effects were found for the PLMT, ayahuasca intake significantly modified divergent and convergent thinking as measured by the PCT. While convergent thinking decreased after intake, divergent thinking increased.
  
  
  
  The present data indicate that ayahuasca enhances creative divergent thinking. They suggest that ayahuasca increases psychological flexibility, which may facilitate psychotherapeutic interventions and support clinical trial initiatives.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands. k.kuypers@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
authors.forename: K P C
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Kuypers
authors.affiliation: Human Experimental Neuropsychopharmacology, Sant Pau Institute of Biomedical Research, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Riba
authors.affiliation: Human Experimental Neuropsychopharmacology, Sant Pau Institute of Biomedical Research, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de la Fuente Revenga
authors.affiliation: Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Theunissen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Ramaekers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000470:Alkaloids; D031581:Banisteriopsis / Q000737:chemistry; D002243:Carbolines; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D003405:Creativity; D005260:Female; D006213:Hallucinogens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064866:Mindfulness; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors; D004130:N,N-Dimethyltryptamine; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000494:pharmacology; D044402:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A; D058826:Serotonin 5-HT2 Receptor Agonists; D013850:Thinking / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D002243:Carbolines; D006213:Hallucinogens; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D044402:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A; D058826:Serotonin 5-HT2 Receptor Agonists; C010262:norharman; D004130:N,N-Dimethyltryptamine
keywords: Ayahuasca; Conventional convergent thinking; Creativity; Divergent creative thinking; Field study