Unconscious States and Creativity (III)

Forbidden fruit - psychedelic drugs

Huxley argues that the experiences induced by psychedelic drugs, deep hypnosis and the like are indeed strange, but that this strangeness is characterised by a certain repetition and regularity (60).

The pioneer of the new generation of psychedelics, the Swiss chemist Albert Hoffmann, is often called the father of psychedelics. He isolated compounds of the ergotomine group from the rye-parasitic fungus ergot. A few years after this experiment, in 1943, the scientist remembered the combination he had synthesised and, in order to study the LSD-25 molecule, accidentally dropped the compound on his own skin and experienced what he called a psychedelic trip. Later, Hoffman began to explore psychedelic compounds beyond the chemical perspective and into how this discovered molecule alters the state of consciousness. In 1960, he also isolated psilocybin from mushrooms (61). His research led American psychiatry to undertake more extensive research on LSD between 1950 and 1960, but as these compounds were leaked to the hippie community, it became unpopular with the US government, which was at the time sending troops to Vietnam and waging war, to continue research. The hippie community was known to preach the ideas of peace and anti-war, so the then President Nixon, unable to criminalise the hippie movement, criminalised the drugs they used. Thus, in 1971, the United Nations Convention published a list of compounds, including LSD, MDMA, etc., as dangerous to human health. Since then, all research on psychedelic compounds was halted and only resumed in 2006, when the neuroscientist Roland R. Griffiths, together with his team, found that this type of compound produces significant and positive alterations in the brain.

Classical psychedelics create altered states of consciousness, which people often interpret as a significant experience and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Psychedelics have been theorised to increase psychological flexibility, which may explain the reduction in depression and anxiety following psychedelic experiences (62).

Although many experiences today can be explained by scientific facts and biochemical processes, when it comes to altered states of consciousness, one is tempted to recall the somewhat mystical insights of historical researchers. It is these, together with scientific, contemporary evidence, that create a seamless and remarkable picture of labile consciousness. Carlos Castaneda wrote of Don Juan's teaching: "The senses of sight, hearing, smell become sharper. The range of colours and sounds expands, so that the world sparkles with fantastic colours and resounds with divine sounds. Ordinary objects, and the relationships between them, take on unexpected meaning...' (63) In his essay 'Heaven and Hell', Huxley seconds that the experience of light is one of the most striking features of the psychedelic experience: 'Everything seen by those visiting the antipodes of consciousness emerges in a brilliant light, as it were, radiates from within. Colours intensify, far surpassing the level of chastity we perceive in our normal state, and at the same time, the power of consciousness to distinguish subtle nuances of tone and hue is greatly enhanced"(64).

Following Huxley's ideas, we seem to be transported to ancient cultures and the "other worlds" they created, religious experiences, and we encounter objects that are playful and seem familiar. For example, the prophet Ezekiel, describing the Garden of Eden, said: "You were in Eden, the garden of God, and you were adorned with all kinds of precious stones; your pendants and your ornaments are made of gold". The Celts and Teutons refer to glass when describing other worlds, and the Welsh had a blessed country called Ynisvitrin, or the Island of Glass. In nations where gems or glass were unknown, flowers and minerals adorned the sky. Finally, Huxley, after listing the descriptions of parallel worlds by different cultures, asks the question "why did many cultures imagine other worlds to be like this?", and then answers it: "One only has to take into account the visionary experiences. Visions have opened up what Ezekiel calls 'fiery stones' to people throughout time. Their light shines from within, is supernaturally bright in colour and inexplicable in meaning" (65).

In terms of cognitive evolution, one theory (66) suggests that 2 million years ago, primitive humans noticed mushrooms growing in their faeces, which turned out to be miraculous - causing unusual visions and perceptions. Terrence McKenna and Dennis McKenna wrote in their theory that the psilocybin in mushrooms caused the primitive brain's information-processing capabilities to rapidly transform, which in turn led to the rapid cognitive evolution that gave rise to the early art, language and technology recorded in the archaeological record of Homo sapiens. For primitive humans, who were still searching for the first tools for hunting, hallucinogenic mushrooms may indeed have provided a kind of contact fluid for the fusion of synapses in the brain. Although scientists agree that this factor is probably one of several factors in cognitive evolution, this theory has not yet been disproved (67).

It is true that one should not romanticise the idea that the light that illuminates the subconscious is merely inspirational. Like the aforementioned gardens of heaven, the hell of visions has its own supernatural light, rather like the mists of the Tibetan Book of the Dead, a visible darkness. Sometimes the exits from the state of consciousness can be compared to schizophrenic episodes, or the feeling when the summer sunlight has an evil bent, and the glitter of the burnished surfaces reminds one not of precious stones but of viscous darkness. Every object or event screams of an inner horror, boundless, omnipotent and eternal. This is the world of Van Gogh's late landscapes, of all Kafka's short stories and of R. Eggers' films.

In 1955, G. Tonini and C. Montanari carried out an experiment in which artists were asked to take LSD and mescaline and start drawing. The results, according to the study, showed that "The paintings (Fig. 1) did not contain any new elements in terms of creativity, but they reflected manifestations of schizophrenia" (68). On the other hand, given that the experience of taking LSD and mescaline is often cited as the only way to get a sense of what a schizophrenic person feels, such results seem plausible. It can also be seen (Fig. 1) that although the results are comparable to schizophrenic manifestations, there is a clear and rather interesting shift in the lines and composition in terms of the time course of these controversial compounds.

Fig.1 Drawings of subjects in various stages of LSD intoxication during the G. Tonini and C. Montanari experiment in 1955.

However, there are more artistic interpretations created or inspired by exposure to mescaline or lysergic acid available to the general public. The Tate Gallery's collection includes a work by Henri Michaux. The artist was exposed to mescaline at the time of painting. In 1957, at London's Gallery One, the artist exhibited 22 drawings made under the influence of this compound (fig. 2).

Fig. 2 Henri Michaux's untitled ink drawing made while under the influence of mescaline.

It is also important to note that the psychedelic art form was not born in artists' studios, but in doctors' offices during clinical trials experimenting with powerful compounds (69), and the most recent studies show that lysergic acid does indeed affect creativity, and that this group has changed creativity in various layers and methods of measurement when compared to a placebo control group. It is also suggested that LSD-induced symbolic thinking may be a tool to improve the effectiveness of psychedelic therapy treatments (70).

It is also worth mentioning a few more tools to help one move out of consciousness. One of these is carbogen. This compound was once used in psychology and psychedelic therapy. When inhaled, it produces physical and psychological changes which have been described in detail by Ladislas Joseph Meduna71. Carbogen inhalers usually see swirls of colourful patterns, but also vivid experiences of the past.

Historical facts, which will be outlined shortly, help to understand the basis of shamanic practices. Systematic breathing exercises increase the amount of time a person can go without breathing, and these pauses in breathing lead to high concentrations of carbon dioxide in the blood and lungs. The increased CO2 reduces the brain's function as a restrictor valve and the person experiences visions or, in other words, can touch a different reality. It is these practices that are believed to be linked to magic and religious ceremonies. The monotonous chanting and recitation of sutras by shamans, healers, Christian or Buddhist monks is nothing more than an attempt to increase the carbon dioxide content of the brain. As Huxley once said, "the way to the superconscious is through the subconscious, and the way to the unconscious is through the chemistry of individual cells".

It is not only chemistry that is important to understand in order to access the creative layers of the superconscious. Physics also reveals considerable potential. And one such, very practical, result of physical science is the stroboscope object. Rhythmically flashing light, through the optic nerves, directly affects the brain by changing the activity of neurons. So sitting in front of a strobe with your eyes closed can cause hallucinations. The visions seen are not static, but rather constantly changing. The dominant colour is a function of the frequency of the strobe discharge. When the lamp flashes 10 to 15 times per second, orange and red patterns dominate. Green and blue appear when the frequency exceeds fifteen flashes per second. Above a frequency of nineteen flashes per second, the drawings become white or grey. Huxley also points out that the stroboscope enhances the visions produced by mescaline or Lysergic acid (72).

Looking at Western culture, the ranks of seers and mystics seem to be dwindling, and those who remain are often called impostors. The question is, why did people who considered themselves mystics have a strong belief in the natural gift of nature? In the Middle Ages, for about 6 months of the year, people suffered famine. During the winter, forced fasting, and during Lent, about 40 days of so-called voluntary abstinence. So one might think that the long fasting prepared the body for transcendent identification and repentance in the face of the risen Christ. During this period of greatest religious excitement and lowest vitamin intake, visions and ecstasies were quite common. People did not eat fruit, fresh vegetables, dairy products or meat. Finally, as spring approached, the lack of vitamins led to all kinds of ailments, until starvation also affected the mental state. Western societies suffered from anxiety, depression and hypochondria, and some began to hallucinate. It is no secret that the visions caused by mild ailments were amplified by the religiosity of the time. Visions of gods and, more often than not, of Satan in such physical states were quite common. The marring of the body can cause a variety of psychic symptoms, but at the same time it can open the door to the transcendent world. Monks, for example, used to fast several times a year, and even the rest of the time, the diet was extremely poor. This was a source of agony and, at the same time, of spiritual insight and enlightenment. In fact, fasting was not the only form of physical marination advocated by the followers of spirituality. One popular method of inflicting physical pain was to regularly whip oneself with a leather or even iron wire whip. This flogging, which is discussed in more detail in this post, was on the one hand a spiritual experience, a release and ecstasy through pain, but at the same time a much deeper transcendental experience. This beating released large amounts of histamine and adrenaline in the body, and when the wounds festered, and they almost always did, the various toxic substances produced by the breakdown of proteins entered the bloodstream. It is also important to note that histamine produced a shock in the body, which affected the psyche as deeply as the body. These sadomasochistic experiences essentially opened up the possibility of seeing visions, hallucinations and tapping into that hidden world and the subconscious. In the days when operations and medical interventions of all kinds were carried out without antiseptics, because they had not yet been invented, many people suffered from inflammation, minor or major, throughout their lives. These inflammations caused abscesses and, eventually, the proteins in the tools caused experiences that we often call mystical (74).

Thus, it can be seen that in the past, people have sought ways to get in touch with transcendental experiences in every way possible - by chanting or praying, by choosing to put themselves under psychophysical stress, by having religious experiences while kneeling or in other uncomfortable positions, by breathing exercises or chanting, by seeking to increase the CO2 level of the brain, by fasting, by causing inflammation in the body, and so on. Today, such experiences sound unusual, but understanding the history of transcendental experiences is really important. Today, similar experiences, as already mentioned, can be experienced through psychedelic means, strobes, transcendental meditation (75), etc. There are many ways to access the superconscious or subconscious, but admittedly not all of them are safe.

It is true that not only safety, but in this case also disposition are very important when trying one or another practice in the creative process. When an artist brings different techniques into his work, he has to be sure of what he is doing, but completely unsure of what the result will be. Jackson Pollock, for example, is a perfect example of the latter phrase. He was the first artist we know of to paint in a 3D environment, or in other words, in the air, and to be able to exploit not only flatness but also depth. From the side, Pollock may appear to be splashing paint, but at the same time, he may be painting a concrete body in the air, which appears on the canvas as an abstraction. This unconventional exploration of gravity in art(76) speaks first and foremost of passion and courage. Of course, from a contemporary perspective, this type of work may not seem as distinctive as it was almost fifty years ago, but the phenomenon seems to be understandable and explainable. The artist Mark Sheeky, in a book he has published, writes that art has to be made out of socially unacceptable ideas, because socially harmonious art is not acceptable. And he is quick to point out that even though many of the works we see in galleries and museums may seem comfortable enough, we should not forget the time in which they were created, because in their own time, they were definitely uncomfortable. Good art is uncomfortable art. The content of the most famous works is constantly rebellious and passionate, arousing volatile emotions, creating their own separate societies and fighting within them. This factor is a feature of almost all timeless masterpieces (77).

Pollock is not the only one to use a unique technique and creative process in his work. Indeed, many artists have their own unique techniques or rituals. Thus, in order to reflect on a unique method of creation based on a subconscious process, we must inevitably look at one of the most prominent movements of the twentieth century, Surrealism.

60 HUXLEY, Aldous. Suvokimo durys. Dangus ir pragaras. Vilnius: Kitos knygos. 2019. p.152. ISBN 9786094273667

61 HOFMANN, Albert. Hofmann's Elixir: LSD and the New Eleusis. Strange Attractor Press. 2010. p.176. ISBN 0954805496.

62 SURVILA, Lina. Abstraktus pokalbis. Laura Korsakova: kas yra psichodelinė terapija ir kodėl reikia patirti ego mirtį?. Spotify. [Klausyta 2021 m. gruodžio 5 d.]. Prieiga per internetą: https://open.spotify.com/episode/58I4O83eDNFk0ei73YBqI4

63 CASTANEDA, Carlos. Don Chuano mokymas. Kita tikrovė. Kaunas: Luceo. 2012. p. 408. ISBN 9789955678823.

64 HUXLEY, Aldous. Suvokimo durys. Dangus ir pragaras. Vilnius: Kitos knygos. 2019. p.152. ISBN 9786094273667

65 Ibid. p. 87

66 Kalbama apie Stoned Ape Hypothesis, kuri yra viena iš teorijų, paaiškinančių kognityvinę evoliuciją.

67 SCHWARTZBERG, Louis. Fantastic Fungi. Netflix. 2019.

68 TONINI, Giuseppe; MONTANARI, C. Effects of Experimentally-Induced Psychoses on Artistic Expression. Confinia Neurologica. t. 15(4). 1955. p. 225-239.

69 Plačiau apie psichodelinį meną, kaip klinikinių tyrimų produktą: https://erowid.org/culture/art/art_article2.shtml

70 WIEßNER, Isabel; FALCHI, Marcelo; MAIA, Oliveira, Lucas. LSD and creativity: Increased novelty and symbolic thinking, decreased utility and convergent thinking. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 2022; t. 36(3). p. 348-359. ISSN 02698811211069113

71 Vengrų neuropatologas ir neuropsichiatras (1896-1964).

72 HUXLEY, Aldous. Suvokimo durys. Dangus ir pragaras. Vilnius: Kitos knygos. 2019. p.152. ISBN 9786094273667

73 Priedas nr. 2.

74 HUXLEY, Aldous. Suvokimo durys. Dangus ir pragaras. Vilnius: Kitos knygos. 2019. p.152. ISBN 9786094273667

75 Meditacijos praktikos glaudžiai siejamos su rytų kultūra ir paprastai gali būti datuojamos tūkstančius metų atgal, tačiau pastaroji, Hindu transcendentinė meditacija (TM) savo šaknis įleido 1955 metais, kai Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, pradėjo viešai mokyti šios meditacijos. Transcendentinės meditacijos populiarumas Vakaruose labai išaugo septintojo dešimtmečio pabaigoje, kai britų roko grupė The Beatles ir kitos įžymybės prisijungė prie Maharishi sekėjų ir pradėjo medituoti, o šiandien, vienu ryškiausių vėliavnešių laikomas kino režisierius David Lynch. Maharishi sukūrė Transcendentinės meditacijos terminą, kad atskirtų šią techniką nuo kitų meditacinių praktikų ir pabrėžtų jos nepriklausomybę nuo induizmo ar bet kurios kitos religijos. Vakaruose Transcendentinė meditacija galiausiai buvo mokoma ir praktikuojama kaip pasaulietinis kelias į psichinę, emocinę ir fizinę gerovę. Kartodami mantrą, praktikai mintyse kartoja specialų sanskrito žodį ar frazę (mantrą), siekdami pasiekti vidinės ramybės ir kūno ramybės būseną. Transcendentinės meditacijos praktikuotojas siekia nuraminti minties veiklą ir patirti gilią atsipalaidavimo būseną, kuri, kaip teigiama, padidina pasitenkinimą, gyvybingumą ir kūrybiškumą. Transcendentinė meditacija, dar vadinama kūrybinio intelekto mokslu, teorinė perspektyva yra pagrįsta Vedantos filosofija, nors praktikams nebūtina laikytis šios filosofijos, kad galėtų sėkmingai naudoti techniką.Kaip tam tikras palengvinimas pasiekti norimą būseną, neretai naudojamas transcendentinis garsas, pavyzdžiui gongai.

76 CERNUSCHI, Claude.HERCZYNSKI, Andrzej. The Subversion of Gravity in Jackson Pollock's Abstractions. College Art Association: The Art Bulletin. T.90-4. 2008. p. 616-639. Prieiga per internetą: http://faculty.winthrop.edu/stockk/modernism/pollock%20subversion%20gravity.pdf

77 SHEEKY, Mark. 21st Century Surrealism: A Guide for Artists and Creative People. Edinburgh: Pentangel Books, 2018. P.142. ISBN 9780957194762