Does the psychedelic substance LSD enhance creativity and how have social stigmas influenced the critical acceptance of drug use in creative culture? By Jessica Dawson, Ba (Hons) Illustration – L5 Context of Practice 2
Psychedelic, a term which holds much historical stigma and taboo, broken down into its traditional Greek translation means literally “soul-manifesting” (Wikipedia, 2016a) or “mind –revealing” (Wikipedia, 2016b). “Part of a wider class of psychoactive drugs known as hallucinogens” (Wikipedia, 2016a), well known psychedelic substances such as LSD and Psilocybin (the active chemical found in magic mushrooms) are categorised by the “profound sense of intensified sensory perception, sometimes accompanied by severe perceptual distortion and hallucinations” (Dictionary.com, 2016), experienced once consumed. As the word itself, first “coined in 1956 by British psychiatrist, Humphry Osmond” suggests, psychedelics are thought to “access the soul and develop unused potentials of the human mind” (Wikipedia, 2016a). Many researchers and scientists have been intrigued by the potential uses for these substances, both medically and socially - yet since the 1960’s and the start to the “War on drugs”, much progression in understanding psychedelics and their true potential has been limited, until now. With “scientific research into the benefits of psychedelic drugs” now “experiencing a global renaissance” (Brown, 2016), how are these important changes affecting the well-engrained stigmas running deep throughout western culture? What will this mean for psychedelic substance use in the future and how will the associated stigmas surrounding the Psychedelia “hippie” subculture and views of Psychedelic art change? Experimentation with mind-altering drugs within creative culture is not uncommon, with artists including many of who are considered “masters”, having had profound mind-altering experiences with psychoactive substances, supposedly said to be the muse behind many famed pieces. The use of drugs seemed to fall within the stereotypical flamboyant lifestyle perceived of an artist and creative figureheads such as Van Gogh, Picasso and Pollack it would seem, never needed to be shy about their vices and influences. The impact of these substances within pop-culture doesn’t stop at painting, “many musicians, scientists, and media icons have been sharing their psychedelically-inspired creations with us for years” and “If you know where to look…references appear just about everywhere--in film, music, television, comedy, advertising, comic books, fashion, toys, video games, and other multimedia art forms” (Brown, 2016). So why in recent history has the aesthetic value of artwork influenced by drug-induced experiences and the authenticity of such pieces from the psychedelic 1960’s era come under scrutiny by art critics? What is it that causes the lack in merit and appeal, in comparison to acclaimed creative work made sober and are the stigmas surrounding psychedelic art so engrained within society - fuelled by the drug-prohibition propaganda since the 1960’s, that there is no hope for a psychedelic “artistic renaissance” (Brown, 2016) also? Social stigma can be seen as dating back to 1960’s post World War II USA, which proved to be a time of revolution and change within science, society and major cultural movements. The discovery of LSD “Lysergic Acid Diethylamide” in 1943 by Swiss Chemist Dr Albert Hofmann made its way onto the scene, which “along with marijuana, become a popular recreational drug for the anti-Vietnam war, counter-culture and flower power movements” (Patterson, 2013), seeing a “shift in the connection between psychedelics and artistic expression” (White, 2015). Commonly known as ’acid’, the effects of which first described by Hofmann as “an uninterrupted stream of fantastic pictures, extraordinary shapes with intense, kaleidoscopic play of colours” (Wikipedia, 2016c),
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LSD quickly became "the most intensively researched pharmacological substance” (Hintzen, 2010, p.5), by government officials such as the CIA, psychologists and throughout the medical sciences. Post war paranoia at this time was high and after the discovery of LSD and results of preliminary psychological testing, the CIA proceeded to see a much darker potential for the substance than Hofmann’s research had intended. “Project MKUltra” (Wikipedia, 2016d), began in the 1950’s where large amounts of LSD were illegally administered to unsuspecting, mentally troubled subjects institutionalised for mental illness, prisoners of war, prostitutes and drug addicts. Project MKUltra, known socially as the “CIA’s mind-control program” initially “intended to identify and develop drugs and procedures to be used in interrogations and torture, in order to weaken the individual to force confessions through mind control” (Wikipedia, 2016d). Despite what was happening behind the closed doors of the US government at this time, major players in medical science and psychotherapy research saw a different side to psychedelic drug use and its release into society lead to well-known recreational use and thus began the famed “summer of love” and 1960’s hippie movement of the time. Psychologist Dr Timothy Leary, a “champion of LSD” and leading “cult figure” (Patterson, 2013) for this movement defines the “psychedelic experience” with the term ‘turn on, tune in, drop out’. In his 1983 autobiography ‘Flashbacks: A Personal and Cultural History of an Era’, Leary, branded the “most dangerous man in America” (Patterson, 2013) by US President Richard Nixon, explains what his coined term means: “Turn on’ meant go within to activate your neural and genetic equipment. Become sensitive to the many and various levels of consciousness and the specific triggers that engage them”. “Tune in’ meant interact harmoniously with the world around you – externalize, materialize, express your new internal perspectives. Drop out suggested an elective, selective, graceful process of detachment from involuntary or unconscious commitments. ‘Drop Out’ meant self-reliance, a discovery of one’s singularity, a commitment to mobility, choice, and change” (Leary, 1993, p.253). With the spread of free love and unity amongst the coming of age post war generation, LSD and psychedelic substances “impact on creative expression emerged in full force, promoting a dramatic rise in new creations and inventions in fields such as music, painting, fashion, architecture, technology, and more” (White, 2015). The Psychedelia “hippie” subculture movement of the 60’s quickly popularised and the social stand against government views and authority, became a cause for concern amongst those with power. Officially stopped in 1973, Project MKUltra found LSD to be too unpredictable for the intended destructive use by US government officials. These inhumane experiments exploring the known “wonder drug” (White, 2015), are described as being “completely uncontrolled” and “useless in providing useful data” (McKay, 2015), however despite this, the illegal trials provided the damning data needed for a hit back at the rise in “psychedelic” anarchic counter-culture within the younger generation of the time, thus becoming the forefront for a change in law. The prohibition of LSD was amongst many psychoactive substances banned in Nixon’s 1971 “War on Drugs” and the illegalisation of drug consumption, described as “public enemy number one” (Wikipedia, 2016e) meant that LSD was quickly made the posterchild for the ban, the scapegoat for blame in respect of rebellious social “psychotic” nature and an onslaught of propaganda ensued. With these changes in drug laws, leading medical science and psychoanalytical experimentation as well as the recreational use of psychedelic substances came to a stand-still. Through extensive media coverage and government propaganda, social views became poisoned against the potential of these mind-altering drugs and their use in mainstream culture and medicine. Medical trials were deemed unnecessary, therefore a cease in government funding meant scientists could no longer afford to carry out further investigative studies.
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Psychedelics slipped beneath the umbrella of US illegalisation, contributing to further laws banning the use of psychoactive substances by government bodies globally. Psychedelic substances still remain at the top of the UK’s and American DEA’s (2015) “Controlled Substances Act” law sheet, LSD being listed as a “Schedule I substance” with “a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision” (Drug Enforcement Administration, 2015). The questioning of “political and social values of the post-war America” and the “protests against the cultural values, segregation, war, social norms of the consumerist America in the 1950’s” can be seen as having provided the fuel in which started the emerging “psychedelic art and wider psychedelic movement” (D, 2016). However, as laws began to change and the ban of drugs ensued, this freedom of independent speech and creative expression, simply by association meant that “the rebellious nature of the movement was abolished” and in terms of creativity, early stigmas also arose and “critics were eager to discard” the emerging and influential psychedelic art movement “in aesthetic terms” (D, 2016). Psychedelic art it would seem, fell prey to the same scrutiny and stigma as the drugs now associated with it – a rebellious action of expressing oneself and individual opinion, popularising illegal pastimes and lacking in authenticity and value, “a mess, you might say, produced by a hyperactive child” (Christiansen, 2013). The social stigmas, along with the looming common misconceptions fuelled by anti-drug propaganda, in particular hallucinogens, are well known throughout modern culture, “that is, people who try LSD or ‘shrooms…. are forever ruined by flashbacks and other symptoms that eventually drive them to a state of full-blown psychosis” (Singal, 2015). Common opinions of psychedelic art therefore, tend to centre around the notion that, creatives rely on these drugs, “an external substance to achieve creative potential” (Offbeat Perspectives, 2015), and that one would need to be under the influence, “stoned or high to create art or appreciate” (Grinberg, 2011) it. Being “high” in itself is still deemed as an immoral and irresponsible act and should therefore not be used to enhance, influence or promote creativity or drug misuse in anyway. These stigmas result in lack of credibility, the demoralisation of psychedelic art and unfair connotations to the illegal drug culture and user stereotypes. Art critic and author Ken Johnson describes to CNN the stigma and baggage attached to psychedelic drug use and how this inevitably has had an impact on art deemed “psychedelic”, “not a term that has a lot of respect in art criticism” turning “off people in both mainstream and high art circles” (Grinberg, 2011). In contrast to the misconception that artists turn to psychedelic substances in order to “enhance” their creative ability and “create competent works or classic pieces”, Johnson explains how he doesn’t “think being high or stoned makes anybody more creative. If it did, there would be a lot of stoners out there making great art... I don't think you have to be high to look at it” (Grinberg, 2011). In the beginning of the psychedelic 1960’s era, substances like LSD and Psilocybin were opening up the world to new advancements and the re-evaluation of cultural and social morals. Johnson explains how “art became a means of altering consciousness” at this time and that “Psychedelic culture had a really central impact on art beginning in the '60s and really changed the direction” (Grinberg, 2011) of creativity. However, despite the influential social changes, “these drugs are all illegal”, and simply by unfair association, psychedelic art “has a stigma that people are not eager to embrace or associate themselves with” (Grinberg, 2011). The notion that psychedelic substances “enhance” creativity is difficult measure. A look into the illegal recreational use of psychedelic drugs such as LSD and the value of psychedelic art created whilst under the influence, renowned author and philosopher Aldous Huxley (The Doors of Perception - 1954), explains how the merit and technical quality of artwork created in this way can
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come under question. “Experience has shown that there’s an enormous variation in the way people respond to lysergic acid” (Horowitz, 1999). “For most people it’s an extremely significant experience, and I suppose in an indirect way it could help the creative process. But I don’t think one can sit down and say, “I’m going to take lysergic acid” whilst intending to be creative. “I don’t think it’s by any means certain that you would get the result you wanted—you might get almost any result” (Horowitz, 1999). Huxley’s account suggests how “the whole notion of conceptualizing what is happening seems very silly.” One “could never hope to reproduce to the full extent the quite incredible intensity of colour that you get whilst under the influence of the drug”, yet after the event however “the experience can be very liberating and widening in other ways” (Horowitz, 1999). Synonymous with the majority of psychedelic art which is influenced by experience instead of the artistic enhancements experienced whilst high, Huxley explains how in art, it seems possible that psychedelics “might be of great assistance: people would see the universe around them in a very different way and would be inspired” (Horowitz, 1999). The studies exploring creativity whilst under the influence show how this artistic approach is unpredictable in nature. Seeking to harness the properties of these substances as a reliable “creative tool” in order to boost artistic flair, as common stigmas would suggest, seems unlikely of successful psychedelic art. Creating art under the influence may increase sensory perception and reaffirm our internal creative “voice”, but learning from the experience seems to have the most creative influence, which in itself carries on after the fact and can in cases be better employed artistically as time goes on. This insight into the uncertain potential for enhanced psychedelic artistic ability, can be seen in a creative study carried out by Psychologist Dr Oscar Janiger in the 1950’s. Here an artist, whose identity remains unknown, was administered 2 x 50 micrograms of LSD and throughout the course of the psychedelic experience, was asked to draw 9 portraits of himself using a range of media. The artwork created throughout the course of this study, helps to convey just how unpredictable the nature of creativity under the influence of psychedelic drugs can be. The first image (Fig.1) created just 20 minutes after being administered the first dose of LSD shows an ordinary start to the study. The lines and approach to mark making with the chosen charcoal media appear clear and uncomplicated. Ringing true of the artist’s physical appearance, the attention to detail, contours and rendering of facial features have been attempted. This image remains synonymous with what would be expected of a portrait produced in the artist’s individual style, with the experience at this stage of the study explained as “normal... no effect from the drug yet' (So Bad So Good, 2016) by the participant. The 4th image in the series (Fig. 2), shows a stark contrast to the first attempt. The patient, now 2 hours and 30 minutes after receiving the first dose, “seems gripped by his pad of paper” (So Bad So Good, 2016). The aesthetic nature of the image would appear to be more fluid, more in touch with expressionistic values and gestural movements to encapsulate the “living” appearance and outline of the subject. The lines, although expressive, remain bold, clear and deliberate – suggesting that the artist remains engaged and focused on the task at hand. The artist explains how at this stage in the study, his “outlines seem normal, but very vivid - everything is changing colour. My hand must follow the bold sweep of the lines. I feel as if my consciousness is situated in the part of my body that's now active - my hand, my elbow... my tongue” (So Bad So Good, 2016). Throughout the experiment, the artist and their developing body of artwork would appear to be more in tune with the process and experience of “doing” rather than the desire to produce an aesthetically “pleasing”, more acceptable result, (as one would usually expect of an artist when attempting to create a piece of work representative of their ability under scrutiny). This notion continues as the study progresses and is apparent within the 6th image of the series (Fig. 3).
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2 hours and 45 minutes into the study, the artist creates his most gestural piece yet. Described by Dr Janiger as attempting “to climb into activity box,” the artist seems generally agitated, responding “slowly to the suggestion he might like to draw some more” (So Bad So Good, 2016). This lack in concentration and hyperactive nature can be seen as present in the creative portrait result. The boundaries between subject and environment appear blurred, almost lost within the aesthetic “noise” and “movement” characterized by the strokes within the piece. The work has energy, apparent in the artist’s speech and actions at this point in in the study; “I am... everything is... changed... they're calling... your face... interwoven... who is...”as if dancing, while the patient is heard “mumbling inaudibly to a tune (sounds like 'Thanks for the memory)” (So Bad So Good, 2016). The artist becomes “consumed” by the creative process and the “ego” within oneself to produce a “good” piece of art seems to become less of a priority and of little importance, as all things would appear to become ‘one’. This study would suggest, like Huxley and Janiger advise, that “while some interesting and highly original works of art have been produced during the acid high, the creative effects of LSD cannot be measured solely in terms of immediate artistic output… the acute awareness of vaster potentials that persists long after the drug has worn off” (Lee, 1986, p.62). Psychedelic drugs are unpredictable yet provide a means of exploring altered states of consciousness, an experience which has a lasting impact on the participant long after study session is complete. Very little psychedelic artwork is created whilst “tripping”, therefore the notion that Psychedelic art being an attempt to “encourage” the use of illegal substances, is incorrect. The substance in effect, takes hold of the artist and the desire to meet common social “high art” accepted aesthetic “value” within an attempted piece begins to dissolve. The creative process becomes more important than how the artwork is perceived and the psychedelic experience is what holds most potential influence. In challenge of the rising stigmas emerging from the 1960’s, further scientific studies were carried out as psychologists and scientific researchers remained intrigued by psychedelic substances, focused in their mission to understand altered states of consciousness and see if there is any correlation between the now illegal psychedelic drugs and creative tendencies. Research Psychologist Dr Frank Barron (1965), describes some possibility of increased creative effects in the subjects taking part within his 1965 LSD study. “Our creative subjects were not challenged by what was very simple; instead, they sought to find a way to take something quite complex and, in it, find a simple order.” Barron continues to explain the effects of LSD “as increased vividness of colour, enhanced perception of detail, greater acuteness in listening to music.” Therefore, “one might expect an increase in complexity in an individual who has had such an experience” (Barron, 1965). Creative subjects influenced by previous psychedelic experiences would also appear to have results that echo this sense of heightened detail and complexity within their work, parallel to the scientific potential demonstrated in the medical studies emerging. In a later trial carried out in 1967, Psychologist Stanley Krippner (1969) “surveyed 9l artists who were reputed to have had one or more "psychedelic experiences”. During the study “of the chemical substances, LSD was mentioned by more artists than any other drug, followed by marijuana, DMT, peyote” (Krippner, 1969) and mescaline. Renowned artist Isaac Abrams was one of Krippner’s (1969) test subjects and describes his experience with psychedelic substances as having “deeply influenced my life.” LSD “opened my eyes to drawing and painting as the means of self-expression for which I had always been seeking. Many difficulties, personal and artistic, were resolved” and a new “energy was released for the benefit of my art". He goes on to explain how "Psychedelic drugs give me a sense of harmony and beauty. For me to paint an ugly picture would be a lie. It would be a violation of what I have learned through
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psychedelic experience” (Krippner, 1969), and this can be seen represented within his 1966 painting ‘All Things Are One Thing’ (Fig. 4). Here Abrams employs an increased attention to detail, one which can only be described as heightened in some way. The composition and subject of the painting aims to convey just what the title of the piece suggests, bringing all elements into “one” connecting them in colour, shape and aesthetic style throughout. The technical ability of the painting is clear with a seeming intent to replicate the patterns almost optical and fractal-like, linking to accounts had whilst experiencing a psychedelic ‘trip’. The colour palette remains vibrant and beautiful, details of which stand stark on top of the green backdrop, this contrast forming a glow as if the nature setting is coming to “life”. The image itself taps into the senses, described as a psychedelic experience had by the artist at an earlier stage in his life. This creative insight appears so in tune with life, an increased ability to “take pleasure in the beauty of a leaf...find meaning in the processes of nature” and echoes the “harmony and beauty” (Krippner, 1969). Abrams describes in his psychedelic inspired work. The overall success of the painting remains synonymous with that of what psychedelic art is known for and yet appears authentic and aesthetically pleasing in a way one wouldn’t think would be shunned by art critics. Understanding creativity within the minds of any one person, let alone harness this is difficult – simply for its subjective nature. Each individual is unique in their ability, what influences them and the simple superficial response they may have to the drugs administered in these sterile sets of circumstances, varies. Despite the stigmas associated with psychedelic art, artists continue to experiment with altered states of consciousness, in order to inform and channel their creativity. The ever changing artistic movements throughout history see popular tastes in artwork and creativity come and go, fluctuating as much as the style of the artwork itself. As with any experience, if an audience can relate in some way – the piece of art influenced by this experience seems better received. It would appear that the psychedelic experience, due to the substance ban lasting so long – is no longer a mainstream experience to have, therefore the artists trying to communicate this influence may not have their art as well received by the general public, who may have not had similar experiences to relate to. So what does this mean for the future of psychedelics within medicine, society and creative culture? Recent anecdotal research in early 2016 shows a current rise in micro-dosing of psychedelic substances, with accounts of Silicon Valley professionals in Southern San Francisco enjoying “a tenth of the normal dose” of LSD in order to boost productivity, help find creative solutions to “technical problems and become more innovative” (Leonard, 2015). Micro-dosing, described as “sub-perceptual” by the founder and CEO of the leading Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, aka ‘MAPS’, is said to provide users with “a little bit of energy lift, a little bit of insight, but not so much that you are tripping" (Leonard, 2015). This reemergence of psychedelic use and application within the technology industry, comes off of the back of the accounts given by the late, influential founder of Apple - Steve Jobs. “Taking LSD was a profound experience, one of the most important things in my life. LSD shows you that there’s another side to the coin...It reinforced my sense of what was important—creating great things instead of making money, putting things back into the stream of history and of human consciousness as much as I could” (White, 2015). As well as technological advancements, medical science is also seeing the benefit of psychoactive research, in light of recent changes in laws and funding from governments. In the last year, authorisation of medical marijuana use throughout the US is proving to be an effective treatment for various medical conditions including cancer, a total ‘debunk’ as it were, of the official claims which lead society to believe that cannabis has “no currently accepted medical use” and “high potential for abuse” (McKay, 2015).
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This medical potential is causing the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to rethink the legislation and legal classification of the Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act (Drug Enforcement Administration, 2015), currently still marketed as one of the most dangerous psychoactive substances known to man along with Heroin. Recent studies show how the controlled psychedelic substance LSD along with psilocybin are providing psychologists with alternate means to treat mental illness such as depression, schizophrenia, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the treatment of addiction, once thought to be provoked by taking these illegal substances and the cause of such debilitating conditions. In April 2016, ground-breaking results accompanied by images of a neurological chemical trial carried out by The Imperial College, London in the attempt to visualise “the effects of LSD on the human brain” (Griffiths, 2016), were released to the world. Leader of the study, Dr. Robin CarhartHarris describes the research as being the “first modern scans of people high” on the psychedelic drug LSD which “has given researchers unprecedented insight into neural basis for its effects” (Sample, 2016). The images of the MRI scans (Fig. 5) show how the brains of 20 healthy volunteers reacted to a dose of LSD in comparison to a placebo, highlighting the vast differences between neurological function when under the influence and the contribution the hallucinogenic drug has to “visual processing.” Carhart-Harris explains how the participants appear to be “seeing with their eyes shut” as the brain experiences an “explosion of communication” (Sample, 2016) apparent in the scans “lit up with activity” (Griffiths, 2016). He moves on to say how LSD can open the door to “ego-dissolution”, where a “normal sense of self is broken down and replaced by a sense of reconnection with themselves, others and the natural world” (Griffiths, 2016). This ‘ego-death’ experience, can be seen to last in patients who receive the drug, and are associated with “improvements in well-being after the drug's effects have subsided” (Griffiths, 2016). Professor David Nutt, “former chairman of the UK Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs” states that “for the first time we can really see what's happening in the brain during the psychedelic state, and can better understand why LSD had such a profound impact on self-awareness in users and on music and art” (Griffiths, 2016). It would appear these incredible results from the study echo the findings of scientists and researchers from the 1960’s. Just as “psychedelics affect all aspects of the human mind” they could also be seen to “affect every aspect of human culture” (Brown, 2008), including creativity. It has long been recognised that personal experience has helped to influence creativity within the arts, explored in depth and communicated by the artists themselves. Creativity is a platform to express oneself, therefore it is safe to say that having a profound experience – rather like an LSD psychedelic trip – will continue to influence art and expression. Whilst the physical ability to “enhance” creativity by taking psychedelics remains uncertain, “creativity lies at the heart of solving every problem that we face as a species” and “new studies in this area are desperately needed” (Brown, 2016). Stigmas originating from 1960’s post war USA, fuelled by anti-drug law propaganda have had a massive impact on the way psychedelic art is perceived, however as society sees a change in law, medicine and research, recent findings could once again take part in a reversal of opinion and social belief, rediscovering the medical as well as spiritual and creative potential. It is clear that these substances, controlled or not, continue to make their mark on modern science and creative culture and with this the world and its relationship with psychedelic substances is beginning to change. There may be many hurdles and stigmas to overcome before controlled substances like LSD and Psilocybin make it back into the mainstream, however the future is looking bright for an increased understanding of altered states of conscious and the true potential of psychedelic substances.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY ACADEMIC SOURCES Horowitz, M. 1999. Huxley on Drugs and Creativity. Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, [Online]. PSYCHEDELICS & CREATIVITY / 3, 17. Available at: http://www.maps.org/newsletters/v10n3/v10n3.pdf [Accessed 18 May 2016]. Krippner, S. 1969. Mescaline, Psilocybin, and Creative Artists. The Psychedelic State, The Hypnotic Trance, and the Creative Act, [Online]. Altered States of Consciousness, section. 2; Ninety-One Artists. Available at: http://www.psychedelic-library.org/artist.htm [Accessed 16 June 2016]. Brown, D. J. 2008. Letter from the Editor, David Jay Brown, M.A. Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, [Online]. volume xviii / number 1, 3. Available at: http://www.maps.org/newsletters/v18n1/v18n1-MAPS_5-7.pdf [Accessed 23 May 2016]. ONLINE SOURCES Dictionary.com. 2016. Psychedelic. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.dictionary.com/browse/psychedelic. [Accessed 10 March 2016]. Brown, David. 2016. How Do Psychedelic Drugs Affect Creativity? [ONLINE] Available at:http://patch.com/florida/pinellasbeaches/how-do-psychedelic-drugs-affect-creativity. [Accessed 15 April 2016]. Patterson, Tony. 2013. Hallucinogenic health trip: LSD may not be bad for you, says study. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/healthnews/hallucinogenic-health-trip-lsd-may-not-be-bad-for-you-says-study-8798900.html. [Accessed 13 April 2016]. White, Shelley M. 2015. 8 Famous people whose creativity innovation was inspired by LSD. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2015/01/11/8-famous-people-whose-creativityinnovation-was-inspired-by-lsd/. [Accessed 19 April 2016]. McKay, Tom. 2015. 5 Harmful Myths We Need to Stop Telling About LSD. [ONLINE] Available at: https://mic.com/articles/118716/5-harmful-myths-we-need-to-stop-telling-aboutlsd#.06YEQjDe1. [Accessed 19 April 2016]. Drug Enforcement Administration. 2015. Drugs of Abuse, LSD. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.dea.gov/pr/multimedia-library/publications/drug_of_abuse.pdf#page=68. [Accessed 25 May 2016]. D, Anika. 2016. Do You Know What Psychedelic Art Is? [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.widewalls.ch/psychedelic-art/. [Accessed 8 May 2016].
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Singal, Jesse. 2015. The Truth About Psychedelic Drugs and Mental Illness. [ONLINE] Available at: http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2015/03/truth-about-psychedelics-and-mental-illness.html. [Accessed 24 May 2016]. Offbeat Perspectives. 2015. Do Drugs enhance Creativity? [ONLINE] Available at:https://offbeatperspectives.wordpress.com/2015/06/05/lsd-drugs-creative-expression. [Accessed 8 May 2016]. Grinberg, Emanuella. 2011. How the drugs of the 60s changed art. [ONLINE] Available at:http://edition.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/07/15/ken.johnson.psychedelic.art/index.html?_s=PM:LIVIN G. [Accessed 24 May 2016]. So Bad So Good. 2016. 9 Images Drawn Under the Influence of Military Grade LSD. [ONLINE] Available at: http://sobadsogood.com/2016/03/26/9-images-drawn-under-the-influence-of-militarygrade-lsd/. [Accessed 13 April 2016]. Barron, Frank. 1965. The Creative Process and the Psychedelic Experience. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.psychedelic-library.org/barron.htm. [Accessed 18 May 2016]. Leonard, Andrew. 2015. Silicon Valley workers are using 'microdoses' of LSD to boost their creativity. [ONLINE] Available at: http://uk.businessinsider.com/how-lsd-became-the-creativity-enhancer-ofchoice-for-many-professionals-2015-11?r=US&IR=T. [Accessed 16 May 2016]. Griffiths, James. 2016. This is your brain on LSD, literally. [ONLINE] Available at: http://edition.cnn.com/2016/04/12/health/lsd-brain-imaging/. [Accessed 22 May 2016]. Sample, Ian. 2016. LSD's impact on the brain revealed in ground breaking images. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/apr/11/lsd-impact-brain-revealed-groundbreakingimages. [Accessed 16 May 2016]. Brown, David. J. 2016. Can Psychedelic Drugs Enhance Creativity? [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.maps.org/news/multimedia-library/3171-can-psychedelic-drugs-enhance-creativity. [Accessed 19 May 2016]. a: Wikipedia. 2016. Psychedelic drug. [ONLINE] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychedelic_drug. [Accessed 26 May 2016]. b: Wikipedia. 2016. Psychedelic. [ONLINE] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychedelic. [Accessed 12 April 2016]. c: Wikipedia. 2016. Albert Hofmann. [ONLINE] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Hofmann. [Accessed 3 April 2016]. d: Wikipedia. 2016. Project MKUltra. [ONLINE] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_MKUltra. [Accessed 8 May 2016]. e: Wikipedia. 2016. War on Drugs. [ONLINE] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_on_Drugs. [Accessed 22 April 2016].
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BOOKS Hintzen, A, 2010. The Pharmacology of LSD: A Critical Review. 1st ed. UK: OUP Oxford / Beckley Foundation Press, p.5. Leary, T, 1993. Flashbacks: A Personal and Cultural History of an Era. 2nd ed. USA: Tarcher/Putnam, p.253. Lee, M. A., 1986. Acid Dreams: The Complete Social History of LSD, the CIA, the Sixties & Beyond. 1st ed. USA: Tandem Library, p.62. IMAGES
Fig. 1: Unknown, (1954), 1 of 9 [ONLINE]. Available at: http://sobadsogood.com/2016/03/26/9-imagesdrawn-under-the-influence-of-military-grade-lsd/ [Accessed 11 April 2016].
Fig. 2: Unknown, (1954), 4 of 9 [ONLINE]. Available at: http://sobadsogood.com/2016/03/26/9-imagesdrawn-under-the-influence-of-military-grade-lsd/ [Accessed 11 April 2016].
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Fig. 3: Unknown, (1954), 6 of 9 [ONLINE]. Available at: http://sobadsogood.com/2016/03/26/9-imagesdrawn-under-the-influence-of-military-grade-lsd/ [Accessed 11 April 2016].
Fig. 4: Isaac Abrams, (1967), All Things Are One Thing [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.saatchigallery.com/museums/FullSizeMuseumPhotos1/ac_id/119/image_id/6167/imag eno/1[Accessed 16 February 2016].
Fig. 5: Imperial/Beckley Foundation, (2016), The Brain on LSD [ONLINE]. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/apr/11/lsd-impact-brain-revealed-groundbreakingimages[Accessed 19 May 2016].
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