Can Psychedelics Improve Your Problem-Solving Skills?

Good morning and welcome back to the Drop In! We're kicking things off with a story about UCSD’s first psychedelic conference: Imaginarium. Were you there?!

We were drawn to this event because it was among the first psychedelic conferences we’d attended that focused on a largely underdiscussed application of these substances. Rather than framing psychedelics as a mental health cure, the conversation centered on imagination and what it makes possible. You can find that story immediately below!

If you keep scrolling, you’ll also find pieces on a New York art critic who helped bring the city’s psychedelic art scene to a global audience, a guide to Psilocybes, a deep dive into the Merry Pranksters, and a trip through Meow Wolf.

Stay hydrated 💧
Mary Carreón
Editor-in-Chief

Together With Psilly Goose

Bevs with Benefits

Psilly Goose is a plant-powered social drink built around the synergy of kanna and lion’s mane, with the option of a small amount of hemp-derived THC, designed to help you feel good without alcohol.

Kanna and lion’s mane do different things in the body, which is exactly why they work so well together. Kanna is known for supporting mood and social openness by interacting with serotonin pathways, helping soften emotional edges and quiet the inner noise that can sometimes lead to anxiety.

Lion’s mane supports mental clarity and focus, keeping you grounded, present, and engaged. When included, a low dose of hemp-derived THC adds a gentle layer of euphoria that feels playful and embodied without overpowering clarity.

Psilly Goose brings these compounds together in a clean, drinkable ritual for fun and flow. The result is a buzz that feels open and heart-forward, yet clear and grounded. 

If you’re curious about feeling buzzed and in flow without alcohol, look no further.

Try Silly or Euphoria (with Delta 9 - THC).

Use DOUBLEBLIND20 for 20% off

UC San Diego Explores Psychedelics as Tools for Creativity and Problem-Solving

UC San Diego has officially entered the chat. On January 17, the university hosted Imaginarium, its first psychedelics conference, featuring the likes of Jim Fadiman, Hamilton Morris, Rick Doblin, and Alex and Allyson Grey. But unlike most academia-funded drug gatherings — which often center exclusively on some facet of mental health — the event focused on psychedelics as a way to engage the imagination and catalyze creativity to problem-solve.

“Our collective focus was to say, ‘yes, we do want to test psychedelics for all kinds of clinical conditions,’” said Cassandra Vieten, psychology director at UC San Diego’s Center for Psychedelic Research, which formally became a center about a year ago. “But we also want to look at whether some of the experiences people have on psychedelics allow them to solve vexing problems by approaching them from a different perspective, whether that’s at an individual level or a societal one.”

The relationship between psychedelics, imagination, creativity, and problem-solving remains an understudied outcome of psychedelics. Vieten pointed to a long-standing gap between what people say psychedelics do for insight and creativity and what researchers have meaningfully studied. “So far, it’s been very random and anecdotal,” she said. “So our question was like, can we be more intentional about that?”

At the center of that gap is imagination, not as a vague or untethered Disney fantasy, but as a cognitive process that shapes how people think, learn, and solve problems. “We know that psychedelics increase connectivity in the brain,” Vieten said to DoubleBlind. “One of the hallmark brain signatures of psychedelics is this massive connectivity between areas of the brain that are not usually connected.”

That neurological openness may help explain why people report sudden insights or shifts in perspective during psychedelic experiences. “So the idea is, maybe we’re actually connecting ideas that have never been connected,” Vieten said. “And we’re like, oh, wait a minute, I see.”

Throughout the day on Jan. 17, speakers supported their lectures and panels with examples of how altered states (psychedelic or otherwise) contribute to insight, creativity, and discovery. Vieten noted that humans have long recognized the cognitive value of states beyond ordinary waking consciousness. “We’ve all known that altered states of consciousness can definitely open your mind and make it more likely that you’re able to see things that you can’t see in ordinary states of consciousness.”

Vieten also drew a distinction between imagination and creativity, arguing that the two are often conflated. “Creativity is actually making something out of what you’ve imagined,” she said. “But imagination is so much bigger where you’re really contemplating all the possibilities, even if they are fictional, even if they are fantasy.” In that sense, imagination functions as the broader mental terrain from which creative outcomes (and solutions) eventually emerge.

Research suggests that imagination alone can have measurable effects on the body and behavior. Vieten pointed to studies showing that mental imagery can directly influence physical performance. “There are great studies now showing that if you, for example, imagine that your muscle is growing while you are lifting weights, you will get more strength out of weightlifting than you would if you weren’t imagining it,” she said, noting that participants can experience “30% more strength than if you weren’t also imagining it.”

Looking to the future, Vieten pointed to future research efforts that would test these ideas in more applied settings. She said the MIND Foundation plans to host action-research retreats that bring together participants working on scientific, policy, or societal challenges. The goal is to see whether carefully prepared and integrated psychedelic experiences can help groups move closer to solving major societal problems.

For UCSD, Imaginarium marked a step forward in how the benefits of psychedelics are being understood. Rather than centering on therapy alone, the conference sought to widen the frame and position imagination as a credible, researchable domain in its own right. “We spend a lot of time talking about what we don’t like about what’s happening now,” Vieten said, “but we should be spending more time talking about how we imagine things could be better and shaping the public imagination.”

The Media Continues to Get the New Jersey Psilocybin Therapy Pilot Program Wrong.

A wave of inaccurate local and regional media coverage surrounding the passage of a psilocybin-assisted therapy pilot program bill in New Jersey has sparked outrage and frustration among grassroots advocates, legal experts, and media professionals.

This Friday, journalist Jack Gorsline breaks down how the recent wave of misinformation took hold, and what professionals can do to push back against false narratives around psychedelic science and policy in real time. Addressing these errors, he says, is an urgent step toward legitimizing the psychedelic movement as a whole.

Upgrade your subscription here to get the full interview in your inbox by Friday.

DoubleBlind Digs

TRAVEL: A new summit in Puerto Rico brought clinicians, researchers, and global leaders together to explore the future of psychedelic medicine and mental health innovation on the island. Learn more here.

ATTEND: Michael Pollan has announced a tour to promote his latest book, “A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness.” Check out his tour dates here.

LEARN: Registration is open for Cohort 6 of the Psychedelic Liberation Training, a three-month program designed to support practitioners in building embodied, justice-centered approaches to psychedelic healing and collective liberation. Learn more here.

Meet Psilly Goose—a plant-powered social drink blending kanna and lion’s mane, with an optional touch of hemp-derived THC. Mood-lifting, clarity-forward, and alcohol-free. For feeling open, present, and in flow—without the hangover. Use DOUBLEBLIND20 for a discount.

Together With Psilly Goose

You can still have fun and let loose without alcohol

Psilly Goose is built for whatever your night needs.

Sip it while getting ready, bring it to a dinner or party, or enjoy it during a cozy night in.

Kanna helps you feel open, relaxed, and socially at ease, while lion’s mane keeps you clear and grounded. For those who choose it, a low dose of hemp-derived THC adds a gentle, playful lift.

It’s a clean, plant-powered way to feel good without alcohol, no matter the occasion.

Bringing wine is out, Psilly Goose is in.

Try Psilly Goose:

Try Silly or Euphoria (with Delta 9 - THC).

Use DOUBLEBLIND20 for 20% off.