Can Psychedelics Unlock Insight, Creativity, and Problem Solving?

MINDS is proud to support Mind FLUX, a landmark research study led by Dr. Manoj Doss and Dr. Greg Fonzo at the University of Charmaine & Gordon McGill Center for Psychedelic Research & Therapy. This first-of-its-kind study explores whether psilocybin, the active compound in “magic mushrooms,” can enhance the brain’s capacity for processing fluency, a mental state linked to creativity, insight, and flexible thinking.

In a world where the foundational neurological processes of psychedelic creativity are largely unmapped, this project breaks new ground, testing a new potential mechanism of creativity, exploring unique role the hippocampus in generation or suppression of episodic memory.

Why It Matters:

From climate strategy to technological innovation, solving today’s challenges requires something deeper than optimization, it requires original thought. Yet most research into psychedelics focuses solely on therapeutic applications.

Mind FLUX shifts the focus to something equally urgent: How do we scientifically understand, and enhance, the conditions for breakthrough thinking?

This study will examine whether psilocybin can enhance our brain’s natural ability to process complexity, connect disparate ideas, and land moments of creative insight.

What We’re Studying:

The Mind FLUX research team is exploring how psilocybin affects:

• Processing Fluency: The ease with which the brain organizes and makes sense of complex information, a key precursor to “aha” moments
• Creative Problem-Solving: Measured through cognitive tasks designed to assess lateral thinking and novel ideation
• Memory and Integration: Whether altered states help encode and retain insights more effectively
• Real-World Relevance: Can these effects translate to meaningful breakthroughs in science, design, or leadership?

Study Design:

This multi-year study is being conducted in three phases:

• Survey of Innovators – Gathering data from technical professionals and creatives who have used psychedelics to solve real-world problems
• Clinical Study with fMRI – Using brain scans and cognitive assessments to measure the effect of psilocybin on fluency, memory, and creative thinking
• Real-World Application – Designing future research with professionals to test the impact of psychedelics on real-world insight and innovation

Why It Matters:

At MINDS, we believe insight is one of humanity’s most powerful, and overlooked, resources.
We envision a world where breakthrough thinking isn’t left to chance, but cultivated with intention.

That’s why we’ve made Mind FLUX our first sponsored clinical study, a foundational step toward validating and optimizing insight-enhancing practices across domains.

Learn More:

For a deeper dive into the Mind FLUX hypothesis, watch Dr. Danoj Doss’ exploration of the study in our February 2025 webinar Psychedelics and the Creative Mind or take a look at our press release at launch.