Based on the frequently reported similarities between creative and psychedelic (drug-induced, consciousness-expansion) experiences, a preliminary study was conducted to explore the effects of psychedelic agents (LSD-25, mescaline) on creative problem-solving ability. Twenty-seven professionally employed males were given a single psychedelic experience in 1 of 7 small groups ( ns = 3 or 4) following extensive selection and preparatory procedures. This drug-induced problem-solving session was carefully structured with particular focus on establishing Ss' expectancies and a psychosocial milieu conducive to creative activity. Tentative findings based on tests of creativity, on subjective reports and self ratings, and on the utility of problem solutions suggested that, if given according to this carefully structured regimen, psychedelic agents seem to facilitate creative problem-solving, particularly in the “illumination phase.” The results also suggest that various degrees of increased creative ability may continue for at least some weeks subsequent to a psychedelic problem-solving session.

Of nine studies in vitro, six have indicated some degree of induced chromosomal breakage after exposure to LSD; three failed to confirm these results. The damage, when found, was generally of the chromatid type, arising during or after DNA synthesis. This damage, with one exception, was the result of concentrations of drug and durations of exposure which could not be achieved in humans with reasonable dosages. There did not appear to be a dose-response relation. The magnitude of damage, when found, was in the range encompassing the effects of many commonly used substances. The absence in vitro of excretory and detoxifying systems present in vivo, as well as several negative reports, cast doubt on the relevance of in vitro results. In 21 chromosomal studies in vivo, 310 subjects were examined. Of these, 126 were treated with pure LSD; the other 184 were exposed to illicit, "alleged" LSD. A maximum of only 18 of 126 (14.29 percent) of the subjects in the group exposed to pure LSD showed higher frequency of chromosome aberration than the controls. In contrast, a maximum of 90 of 184 (48.91 percent) of the subjects taking illicit LSD showed an increase in frequency of aberrations. Of all the subjects reported to have chromosome damage, only 18 of the 108 (16.67 percent) were exposed to pure LSD. The frequency of individuals with chromosomal damage reported among illicit drug users was more than triple that associated with the use of pharmacologically pure LSD. We conclude that chromosome damage, when found, was related to the effects of drug abuse in general and not, as initially reported, to LSD alone. We believe that pure LSD ingested in moderate dosages does not produce chromosome damage detectable by available methods. No significant work on carcinogenic potential of LSD has been reported so far. No cause-and-effect relation and no increase in the incidence of neoplasia among LSD users have been demonstrated. Case reports (three in 4.0 years) of leukemia and other neoplasia in this population are rare. The results of early chromosome studies suggested that true genetic damage might be a consequence of LSD exposure. The comprehensive evidence from studies on drosophila indicates no mutagenic effect from 0.28 to 500 microg of LSD per milliliter and a definite mutagenic effect from 2,000 to 10,000 microg/ml; this is consistent with a threshold response or a sigmoid dose-effect relation. We believe that LSD is, in fact, a weak mutagen, effective only in extremely high doses; it is unlikely to be mutagenic in any concentration used by human subjects. Circular dichroism experiments suggested that the specific mechanism of action of LSD on DNA may be a direct interaction resulting in conformational changes in the DNA helix. These changes are unlikely to result in a decrease of internal stability sufficient to cause breakage of chromosomes, but they may be the physical basis of the weak mutagenicity. Early chromosomal studies implicated LSD as a potential cause of congenital malformations, fetal wastage, and germinal chr...

The Personal Orientation Inventory (POI), a recently developed measure of self-actualizing tendencies, was administered on 2 occasions to 48 college students to determine the stability, independence, and utility of 10 subscales. Stability coefficients and intercorrelations indicated that 3 of the 12 scales, Inner Direction, Time Competence, and Self-actualization Value, accounted for almost all the variance. Since many of the intercorrelations approximated the scales' reliabilities, it was concluded that performance on the POI could be more accurately and parsimoniously expressed in terms of fewer dimensions.

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