Results

Qualitative analysis

Quotations from both the substance user and control groups were collected in order to document their perceptions connected to the two word categories. The tension control category is divided into two parts; to the enhancing and the relaxant nature. First, the

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relationship between artistic creative process and various mind altering tools are presented.

Next, the relationship between the enhancement of tension and the use of substances (see ALC_04_M and CANN_03_M) is illustrated below. Similarly, opinions connected to the relaxant nature of the two psychoactive substances also appear (see ALC_09_M and CANN_12_M). The references to the two hypothesized word categories are emphasized with italics.

The artistic creative process and various mind altering tools

Related to substance use during the artistic creative process, the artists have different points of views. Some of them report that substances are used as only a source of inspiration (e.g. ALC_05_M; CANN_04_M) while the implementation is carried out sober. Others alter their states of consciousness to fulfill the work (ALC_10_M; CANN_06_F). Substance using habits vary due to individual differences in the Alcohol Group. Further, cannabis is reported to ease the appearance of ideas. In the Moderate Substance User Group, there is a tendency of reporting music as a mind altering tool. This might help the artists to get into the state of openness which is the essential element of the creative work.

ALC_05_M: “There is this heightened night state when one perhaps has drunk some glasses of wine, if I want to word mildly. Then, a lot of things flow from one’s brain. But obviously, I need another time when I make a fair copy of it in a sober daylight; to formulate the given writing in a normal way.”

ALC_10_M: “I am a precise person. I need alcohol, because I know that if I drank three, four, five beers from one a.m. to 6 a.m. then an illuminated state comes into existence for two hours, in the good sense of the word. I am able to concentrate, focus, and experience the situation. Before that, I am too convulsive or melancholic, and after that, totally terrible.

But I need that three hours a day.”

CANN_04_M: “Some ideas came into my mind but the majority of them are carried out sober. The idea born in this state was very useful but in the implementation it does not absolutely help … Thoughts come earlier, the thinking process is faster but implementation is slower.”

CANN_06_F: “It feels like I can zoom to the topic more, because it does not divert my attention. These weird pictures which are in my head can be liberated. At other times, when I

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am not high, these are of course in my head, too, but this eases somehow to realize them, to come out.”

MOD_01_M: “During work, I usually listen to music. The kind of music depends on my mood, but I almost always listen to music. I don’t know, if it can be counted as the altering of consciousness, in my opinion, it might be.”

MOD_06_F: “Music may be a psychoactive thing, because of rhythm. Because we work with pictures, ripple, scribble; they are all rhythm and music. I like to work with music, because I almost forget myself and it will have the life of its own.”

Substance use and the enhancement of tension

The frequent appearance of the enhancement of tension connected to both substances can be observed. Alcohol is reported to cause an enhanced neural state. In the cannabis group, mainly reports about the disadvantage of long-term substance use can be observed. In the actual creative work, it might cause the loss of motivation (CANN_02_F) or inspiration (CANN_03_M).

ALC_04_M: “And then I retreated from the world for a week. This inspired me for about three days, but then I started to feel restless and I was not able to stay calm; it was much worse than remaining at home. So, restlessness is a small problem for me in the field of writing.”

ALC_05_M: So, I am quite strongly deconcentrated anyway which can be observed when I work, too; I am not able to concentrate more than two hours… but for instance, wine, especially white wine – to be totally subjective – can rev consciousness to a higher frequency from this point of view.

CANN_02_F: In a time, the following habit became mechanic ’Ok, let’s smoke a joint and the good ideas will come!’. This referred not only to artistic creation but also to a seminar paper or anything else. In the meantime, it really evolved that ’I smoke a joint and after, I begin to work.’ So, this became a bit postponement with the feeling that ’I haven’t smoked enough, so I roll another joint… and after that, I really begin to work’. Then, I was just sitting in front of the computer and I would have done anything instead of the work. So, I pay attention to this nowadays.

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CANN_03_M: “In normal state of consciousness, I am not able to feel the way through which I reached a certain point, or where I started from. I find this weird, a kind of bad feeling possesses me that I don’t really understand myself and this makes me totally nervous, because all this is about me… A lot of people don’t have time to live this through, think over, retreat, discuss with them, make themselves clean – meaning that they are totally sober and realize what the role of the used substance is. If this period did not exist and if they stayed in that;

’Oh, shit, I cannot work although I also used substances’, they realize that they are not able to do anything – this feeling might give them such experiences that will totally block the way of inspiration.”

The relaxing nature of substances

Alcohol relaxes the user’s systems that can be seen from the quotations, below. Artists drink alcohol in order to get into the suitable mood for creation (eg. ALC_13_M). Besides, the liberation with cannabis is reported. Substance use is observed to be part of the individual’s personality (CANN_12_M); it cannot only be connected to the creative work.

ALC_09_M: “There have been occasions when I felt that I was incredibly stressed and neither I will be able to sit down nor write even three lines in this life if I don’t drink now three glasses of wine.”

ALC_13_M: In the evenings I was writing and drinking beer. It was quite good, because I could handle my restlessness with it. I felt I wish it would finish now and I am really bored to elaborate the details, I am not in the mood for doing it at all. Because that’s what I cannot stand. And if I had drunk a bit beer to it, I became more relaxed and I could work; in this bit stupid mood.

CANN_10_M: Basically, it is a very liberating, cloudless feeling when I am high.

CANN_12_M: “Being high is good for me especially, because in that state, I become roughly acceptable in social situations. Then I am able to listen to the other, I don’t hurry, I can see not only forward. To be honest, I think, with the use of cannabis, I can come to such level or such interval that makes me tolerable from my usual, extremely revved state… This does not refer to creation, but to all my life. Basically, substance use is part of my personality and this can be seen in the artworks, so this is quite direct connection.”

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