A new study report published in the journal Psychopharmacology has revealed that microdoses of magic mushroom among people could elevate their creativity and problem-solving abilities.
This new study conducted by researchers at the Leiden University in the Netherlands also found potential positive effects on convergent and divergent thinking when a person is given magic mushroom in minute doses.
It should be noted that this is the first study of its kind to determine the cognitive-enhancement effects of magic mushroom micro-dosing.
During the study, the research team analyzed how a microdose of a psychedelic substance will impact the cognitive brain function of 36 people. Initially, participants were given 0.37 grams of dried truffles, which is actually less than half the weight of a paperclip.
After consuming microdose of dried truffles, participants showed considerable improvement in their convergent thinking abilities, and they also showcased more creative ideas to solve a presented problem. The participants were also more fluent and original while putting forward the solutions.
"Taken together, our results suggest that consuming a microdose of truffles allowed participants to create more out-of-the-box alternative solutions for a problem, thus providing preliminary support for the assumption that micro-dosing improves divergent thinking. Moreover, we also observed an improvement in convergent thinking, that is, increased performance on a task that requires the convergence on one single correct or best solution," said Luisa Prochazkova, lead author of the study.
Luisa Prochazkova also added that further studies on micro-dosing of magic mushroom also have the potential to help individuals who suffer from problems like depression, anxiety, and other psychological disorder.
"Apart from its benefits as a potential cognitive enhancement technique, micro-dosing could be further investigated for its therapeutic efficacy to help individuals who suffer from rigid thought patterns or behaviour such as individuals with depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder," explained Prochazkova.
