Psychedelics & Creativity | Dr. Dila Suay

OVERVIEW How might psychedelics influence human creativity and perception? This talk explores the relationship between psychedelics and creativity from both historical and neuroscientific perspectives. Beginning with a brief overview of the historical relationship between psychedelic substances and creative expression, it then turns to recent experimental research investigating creativity under psychedelic states. Drawing on controlled laboratory research using an ayahuasca-inspired DMT/harmine (DMT/HAR) formulation, the presentation examines how psychedelics may shape different components of creative cognition, including divergent thinking, convergent thinking, artistic expression, and broader phenomenological dimensions of the creative process. By bridging neuroscience, psychology, and art, the talk aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of how altered states of consciousness may influence creativity and perception. SPEAKER Dr. Dila Suay is a translational neuroscientist with a background in molecular biology, genetics, and bioengineering. She completed her PhD at the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, conducting research in collaboration with the University of Zurich on an ayahuasca-inspired DMT/harmine formulation. Working at the intersection of human neurophysiology, behavioral science, and clinical research, she uses EEG and behavioral methods to investigate how psychedelic states affect creativity, perception, and self-related processing.