Brain Scans of Freestyle Rappers Show a correlation with Cannabis and Creativity — PILGRIM SOUL CREATIVE

Brain Scans of Freestyle Rappers Show a correlation with Cannabis and Creativity

The ability to freestyle is a highly coveted skill within the hip-hop community. If unfamiliar, freestyling is an improvisational performance in which rappers recite lyrics with no prior preparation or memorization. If you’ve ever seen a rap battle, they’re freestyling.

So, it comes as no surprise that neuroscientists would turn to freestyle rapping to better understand the creative process. I mean, what scientists wouldn’t be curious about a rapper’s ability to rhyme to phat beats skillfully?

From lyric writing to beat making to performance skills, great rappers constantly push creativity to the limits. However, as multi-talented as they may be, neuroscientists Siyuan Liu and Allen Braun were most fascinated with developing more significant insights into the improvisational nature of their creative process and what happens when they reach a creative flow state.

Flow State is defined as a subject’s complete immersion in creative activity, typified by focused self-motivation, positive emotional valence, and loss of self-consciousness. Flow state is more…