Talk: An Exploration of Psychedelics & Creativity with Dr. David Luke

Creativity is considered one of the most important and highly valued of human traits, and a fundamental aspect of the sciences. However it is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon which can make it challenging to comprehensively measure, or enhance.

Psychedelic states, dreams and hypnagogic states have all been associated with catalysing scientific insights on occasion, and they may share common features that make them amenable to insight generation and creativity enhancement. However the psychedelic state may have its own characteristic features that make it amenable to creativity enhancement. With psychedelics, context is important – what factors are important when considering using psychedelics as applied catalysts of scientific creativity, and why might this be important at this time?

This talk will explore a number of questions arising around psychedelics and creativity:

• What might psychedelics, dreams and hypnagogic states have in common in terms of how they can facilitate insight?
• What examples are there of these states contributing to scientific creativity and insight?
• By what mechanisms can psychedelics contribute to scientific creativity?
• How can psychedelics be best used as scientific creativity boosters, and what contextual factors are important to consider if using psychedelics as creativity catalysts?
• Why is seeking to catalyse scientific creativity important at this time?

Doors open at 7pm, talk starts at 7.30pm – come down early to grab a good seat!

Dr David Luke is Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Greenwich. His research focuses on transpersonal experiences, anomalous phenomena and altered states of consciousness, especially via psychedelics, having published more than 100 academic papers in this area, including ten books, most recently Otherworlds: Psychedelics and Exceptional Human Experience. When he is not running clinical drug trials with LSD, conducting DMT field experiments or observing apparent weather control with Mexican shamans he directs the Ecology, Cosmos and Consciousness salon and is a cofounder and director of Breaking Convention: International Conference on Psychedelic Consciousness.