Papers

Research literature with structured metadata.

Trials

Registered studies by status, phase, and compound.

Topics

Indications and themes psychedelics are researched for.

Compounds

Evidence across molecules with rich data.

Countries

Regulation, access, and research activity by region.

Stakeholders

Organizations shaping the space across research, policy, and funding.

People

Investigators, clinicians, and authors with mapped output.

Courses

Training programs and certifications across modalities.

Events

Conferences, workshops, and convenings by date and focus.

Results

Compare outcome data across trials and publications.

Research Snapshot

One-page overview of trials, participants, papers, and research networks.

Clinical Guidelines

Trial-anchored manuals and protocol guidance with competency mapping.

Research recaps

Monthly evidence summaries with key takeaways.

Map of research

Landscape view of trials, compounds, and outcomes.

Newsletter

Weekly or daily updates on trials, publications, analysis, and more.

Research Groups

Worldwide map of psychedelic research centres by region.

Road to Access

Science, regulation, and economics on the path to patient access.

Research Network

Interactive co-authorship map of psychedelic researchers.

Top papers

Find needles in the haystack of psychedelic research per topic.

AskBeta
Pricing

The intelligence layer for psychedelic research.

Company

  • About
  • Contact
  • Newsletter

Product

  • Feedback
  • Roadmap
  • Changelog
  • API
  • Partners
  • Clinical Guidelines

Legal

  • Privacy
  • Terms

© 2026 Blossom. All rights reserved.

Home/Research/Placebo/Creativity

Placebo for Creativity

5 papers and 4 clinical trials exploring placebo as a treatment for creativity.

CompoundComparator / Control

Placebo

Placebo is the most widely referenced comparator in psychedelic clinical research, appearing in over 500 trials. Understanding how placebos are designed, administered, and interpreted is essential to evaluating the evidence base for psychedelic-assisted therapies — and one of the field’s most contested methodological challenges.

Full Placebo profile
Indication300 million adults struggling with creative blocks globally.

Creativity

Psychedelics have emerged as potential enhancers of creativity, influencing both divergent and convergent thinking processes. Current research indicates their capacity to disrupt cognitive rigidity and promote innovative thought patterns, warranting further exploration into their therapeutic and recreational applications.

Full Creativity profile

Academic Research

5 papers
Open Accessindividual

Microdosing psychedelics and its effect on creativity: Lessons learned from three double-blind placebo controlled longitudinal trials

This combined analysis (n=175) of three double-blind placebo-controlled longitudinal experiments investigated the effects of microdosing psilocybin (0.74 -; 1.71mg) on creativity and found that it increased the originality of their ideas while generating novel applications for ordinary things (divergent thinking). However, it did not increase the number of novel ideas, or their ability to detect features that are common across multiple things (convergent thinking).

Published
November 2, 2025
Journal
Neuropsychopharmacology
Authors
Prochazkova, L., van Elk, M., Marschall, J., Rifkin, B. D., Fiacchino, D., Fejer, G., Hommel, B., Schoen, N.
Open Accessmeta

Microdosing psychedelics: Current evidence from controlled studies

This systematic review (s=14) compiles double-blind, placebo-controlled studies on microdosing LSD (5-20μg) under laboratory conditions. It reports that acute low doses of LSD affect blood pressure, sleep, neural connectivity, mood, social cognition, and perceptions of pain and time, with noticeable effects at 10-20 μg but not at 5μg. While no serious adverse effects were noted, repeated microdosing did not significantly change mood or cognition.

Published
January 26, 2024
Journal
Biological Psychiatry
Authors
Murphy, R., Muthukumaraswamy, S., De Wit, H.
Open Accessindividual

Self-blinding citizen science to explore psychedelic microdosing

Using a self‑blinding citizen‑science protocol in the largest placebo‑controlled microdosing study to date (n=191), the authors found psychological outcomes improved after four weeks but with no significant differences between microdose and placebo groups. Small acute and anxiety effects appeared due to participants breaking blind, suggesting reported benefits of microdosing are largely placebo‑driven and demonstrating the feasibility of a low‑cost self‑blinding approach.

Published
March 2, 2021
Journal
eLife
Authors
Szigeti, B., Kartner, L., Blemings, A., Rosas, F. E., Feilding, A., Nutt, D. J., Carhart-Harris, R. L., Erritzoe, D.
Open Accessindividual

Tripping on nothing: placebo psychedelics and contextual factors

This placebo-only study (n=33) found that by creating a highly psychedelic-like setting (including actors), a majority of participants believed they felt some drug effects.

Published
March 7, 2020
Journal
Psychopharmacology
Authors
Olson, J. A., Suissa-Rocheleau, L., Lifshitz, M., Veissière, S. P. L., Raz, A.
Open Accessindividual

Mystical experiences occasioned by the hallucinogen psilocybin lead to increases in the personality domain of openness

This re-analysis from two psilocybin trials with hallucinogen-naïve subjects (n=52) looked at personality changes in participants. It found significant increases in openness (but not neuroticism, extroversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness), which remained higher than baseline for those who had a mystical experience up to a year.

Published
September 28, 2011
Journal
Journal of Psychopharmacology
Authors
Maclean, K. A., Johnson, M. W., Griffiths, R. R.

Clinical Trials

4 trials
RecruitingPhase I/II

Effects of Psilocybin on Electrophysiology and the Dynamic Content of Thought

This double-blind, placebo-controlled, full cross-over trial (n=30) will study the effects of psilocybin (10mg/70kg) on brain activity and thought dynamics in healthy volunteers.

Started
March 3, 2022
Type
interventional
Blinding
quadruple
Randomized
Yes
Registry ID
NCT05301608
CompletedPhase NA

Naturalistic Study of Microdosing With Psilocybin (NATMICRO)

Placebo-controlled, double-blind randomized naturalistic microdosing study (n=34) testing two 0.5 g dried Psilocybe cubensis sessions versus matched placebo in healthy microdosing volunteers with EEG, cognitive, behavioural and self-report outcomes.

Started
January 20, 2021
Type
interventional
Blinding
double
Randomized
Yes
Registry ID
NCT05160220
CompletedPhase I

A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to study the effects of repeated microdoses of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) on creativity and brain activity in healthy adult males

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (n=80) will study the effects of repeated microdoses of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) on creativity and brain activity in healthy adult males. Participants will receive either 10 µg of LSD or a placebo, dissolved in water in 1 ml oral syringes, taken once every three days for a total of 14 doses over a 41-day regimen.

Started
November 19, 2019
Type
interventional
Blinding
double
Randomized
Yes
Registry ID
ACTRN12621000436875
Not yet recruiting

Psilocybin as a tool for enhancing cognitive flexibility

This interventional trial (n=60), conducted by the University Maastricht (UM), investigates the effects of psilocybin (12mg/70kg) on cognitive flexibility, specifically divergent thinking and goal-directed behaviour.

Started
May 1, 2017
Type
interventional
Blinding
double
Randomized
Yes
Registry ID
NL6007

Explore further

Search all Placebo papers Search all Creativity trials Full Placebo profile Full Creativity profile