The Beginners Guide To The Creative Use Of Modafinil

Unlike animals, humans are able to think in a very creative manner.

It is this imagination and innovation that many people rely on to be able to undertake their jobs and to do so to a high standard.

There are some times when it is difficult to stimulate the imagination and generate some new creative flare which is something that many people need help with.

If this is the case, Modafinil can help stir the imaginative and creativity lurking within.

Modafinil is able to provide you with a special collection of advantages and aims to promote creativity, increase productivity and to help make you more efficient in the workplace.

For people in certain lines of work, Modafinil should not be ignored.  If you are someone who requires more creativity than the average person to undertake your work effectively, such as artists, poets, writers, musicians, or people in a problem-solving role, then you could benefit from the use of Modafinil.

In this article, you will discover how the brain initiates the function of creativity, how it processes imagination and will become more informed as to how Modafinil can be used to aid the brain to boost creativity.

Modafinil has been created so that the concept of creativity can be increased, personal creativity can become more efficient and independent innovation can be seen as a much more reliable resource.

Defining Creativity

To understand the idea of how Modafinil can be used to enhance the brain’s ability to increase creative levels, it should first be explained as to what creativity is to increase the overall understanding over the topic, encouraging more informed decisions to be made in relation to Modafinil.

Creativity can be defined as being the process of when something new is brought into being.  In more simple terms, the process of creativity is when something objective is turned in to something concrete.  It is transformed from only existing in the imagination to actually existing.  There are many different forms that creativity can take.  For some, it means something more tangible, something which can be held and physically handled, such as artwork or a poem.  There are, however, some less tangible results of creativity that affect others senses which could be things like blockchain technology, music or food.

The Source of Creativity

Being creating is one of the many incredible results of being human.  It shows itself in many different formats and at many different levels.

The human brain is so powerful that it can quite literally turn nothing into something, though where the hardwiring came from for humans to be able to do this automatically remain a point of discussion for philosophers all over the world.

This article has not been written to look at how the human mind came about or where it is precisely that thoughts originate from, but we are going to analyze the large variety of thinking theories which are necessary for creativity to exist within our world thanks to the complex and remarkable workings of the human brain.

Thinking Theory: Convergent and Divergent

The process of creativity is not straight forward.  To occur, multiple different areas of the brain must find an equilibrium.  Creativity is able to flow freely when convergent and divergent thinking can both occur in equal measure.

It sounds like a simple process, but it’s actually incredibly complex and needs to be looked into a little more for us to gain more of a thorough understanding.  We need to know the difference between convergent and divergent thinking by definition.

Convergent thinking makes up one half of the creative process.  The brain uses this process to find solutions to problems which have one answer and one answer only.  People stereotypically ushered into this bracket are mathematicians.  J. P. Guilford, the well-renowned psychologist of the US, coined the phrase “convergent thinking.”

By means of elimination, you have probably worked out that divergent thinking is the second half of the creative process and is the exact opposite to convergent thinking.  The brain uses this process so that it can find solutions to problems which have multiple correct, feasible, or possible answers.  A good example of the people often in this bracket would be artists.

For example, if an artist is painting a picture of a vase filled with flowers, we all know what flowers are, but there is no rule for the artist how those flowers are painted as long as they are recognizable, so long as they can be defined as daffodils, tulips, lilies and so on.  There is not one answer to how the artist chooses to work, and he is not wrong in his decision.  Unlike a convergent thinking mathematician who would be right if he thought the answer to 10 + 5 was 15 but wrong if he thought the sum equaled 102.

The Source of Creativity

Creativity was of particular interest to Dr. George Land who decided that it was time more was learned about the area.  He undertook pioneering researching surrounding the idea of creativity which resulted in him founding a consulting institute for creativity.  It was here that he set about studying the enhancement of creative performance in 1965.

Inherent Creativity in Children

Throughout his research, Dr. George Land used children as the participants in his studies.  This was because he identified very early on that children seemed to be programmed in a different way to adults and were therefore naturally able to be more creative.

Through his research, Dr. Land discovered that as age increased, creativity levels decreased, and the older the adult, the more shortcuts were used to solve a problem and the less the creative instincts were used to find solutions.

Dr. Land used 1600 infant participants in his study.  He divided them into age categories and asked them all to undertake a test of creativity which he had initially created for use with NASA.  His findings were as follows:

• 5-year-old participants scored 98% on average
• 10-year-old participants scored 30% on average
• 15-year-old participants scored 12% on average

When he decided to undertake the same test on adults after the main study had been completed, he found that adult participants scored 2% on average.

From these results, Dr. Land determined that the act of being creative is not a learned behavior, but in fact, it is the act of being non-creative that is learned more and more like our age increases.

If you would like to listen to an example of one of Dr. Land’s Ted talks, please click here.

Computing this Information

Now that we know that the human brain is innately creative and that it is learned as we increase in age to be less creative, we need to determine how creative thought processes can be enhanced not reduced as we age.

We are not attempting to deduce how to learn the art of creativity but instead need to discover how to unlearn what stops us from being creative as we increase in age.  This process is not a simple or fast one to undertake.  But changing the body and mind to aid in any area does not happen overnight as many previous cycles must first be broken and new theories learned.

Think about a pro bodybuilder for instance.  They weren’t of an average physique on a Monday, think about being stronger, fitter, healthier on Tuesday and wake up on Wednesday morning with bulging muscles, well-toned and with a well-enhanced physique without putting years of hard work and dedication into completing their daily training.  This is exactly the same as changing how we see and use creativity as we get older.

The Process of Thought being Creativity

To retrain the brain to increase the levels of creativity, we must first get to grips with the concept of the creative thought process which has four parts to it.  These are as follows:

Get Prepared

The first stage requires us to depict what the specific problem is so that a solution of a creative nature can be sourced.  The preparation phase requires this identification as well as fact gathering and the sourcing of materials helpful to solve the problem at hand.

Modafinil is most effective at this stage of the creative process as it will really enhance your ability to identify, gather and source helpful materials to complete your task.

The Incubation Station

This process occurs within the unconscious where your brain mulls over an idea or scenario in an attempt to find a solution. For this process to occur effectively, time spent thinking about other things which are not related to the problem you are wanting to solve is required.  Problems need time in the subconscious to be solved.

As this stage, it is not recommended that Modafinil is used.

The Lightbulb Moment

This is better known as the stage of illumination where it seems like a lightbulb has suddenly been switched on in your brain.  The solution you required has suddenly become clear.  This stage can only be reached by completing the first two stages.  A “Eureka!” moment will not occur if the correct preparation and incubation periods have not been permitted.

It is recommended that Modafinil is not used for this stage.

Solution Verification

During the last stage of the creative thought process, your potential solution must be analyzed in greater depth.  The possibilities of success are investigated, and the validity of the potential solution is explored.

Modafinil can be very useful at this stage because it will enhance the solution exploration in greater detail and methods for improvement or enhancement can be identified and potentially then resolved.

Modafinil and Creativity

The process of creativity can be massively enhanced through the use of Modafinil.  It would benefit the user primarily during stages one and four of the creative thought process.  The processes of getting prepared and verifying an idea are the areas where the most effort is required of the brain, with stages two and three being innate, cognitive processes occurring with no assistance required.

Modafinil has been found to be effective in enhancing ability and productivity.  It stops the brain from getting tired as quickly and as easily as it would naturally so that we are able to work harder, more effectively and for longer periods of time.  It is able to do this because it raises the dopamine levels found within the brain.

But just knowing the ways in which the increases in dopamine in the brain through the use of Modafinil and the effects are not enough.  We must also learn how to use Modafinil and its increased dopamine levels in the most effective manner to get the most out of it and to use this information to create a positive impact on the creative thought process itself.

More Information about Modafinil and Dopamine

ADHD and ADD sufferers are commonly known to struggle with their levels of concentration, especially over prolonged periods of time.  These same two groups of people also have been tested as to their dopamine levels and found that they are more often than not, low.

To help counteract the effects of having ADHD or ADD there are certain common medications used, such as Adderall and Ritalin.  Modafinil is also a common counteracting medication.  They work by rebalancing the levels of dopamine found within the brain with the aim of pushing the levels to being closer to that of a person who does not suffer from ADHD or ADD.

When the dopamine levels are raised and approach the norm, a person with ADHD or ADD can focus on something more and for longer which in turn means that they are actually able to take in information.

The levels of dopamine within the brain are not a general issue for most, healthy individuals.

What happens when Dopamine levels are increased?

When Modafinil is active, dopamine levels increase.  This happens when protein located on the synapses and reabsorb the dopamine itself has its activity lessened.  This protein is called DAT, and when inhibited, the levels of dopamine surrounding the synapses increase and the effects are exacerbated.

There are not proven findings for the use of high dopamine levels being helpful in the creative process, but there is scientific proof that increased dopamine is beneficial when the collection of data is required.

Using Modafinil to Get Prepared

The best time to use Modafinil is during the preparation phases because the higher dopamine levels stop tiredness occurring.

The largest amount of work is required during this stage of the creative process.  Problem identification needs creative solutions.

Modafinil has been proven to work best at this stage with users reporting to have been able to collect and interpret data for 15 to 20 hours non-stop.

Incubation Station and Lightbulb Moment with Modafinil

Modafinil should not be used during these stages as it negatively impacts dopamine.

Lower Dopamine Levels and the Creativity Process

When dopamine levels are low, creativity is increased.

Through the use of an old study, new research has found that Schizophrenia patients were more creative than participants in the study without Schizophrenia.  It was determined that the lack of dopamine in the Schizophrenic participants was the cause of this.  It was also noted by researchers that when dopamine levels are higher, the learning, gathering of information and retrieval capabilities were increased but the convergent thinking process was reduced.  This is the reason for Modafinil not being helpful during the middle stages.

If Modafinil is taken to help Get Prepared, the dopamine level dips which is conducive to both middle stages.

Using Modafinil for Solution Verification

When the lightbulb moment has occurred, the validation and verification must follow.

Here, Modafinil is effective as the brain is required to work so hard to apply the validation needed.  This is a trial and error process which often takes extended periods of time depending on the scenario.

Creative Process Support Tips

To be Creative, you need to mix with the Creative

Humans often imitate the people they spend large amounts of time with.  This is how accents occur, for example.  This also goes for creativity.  If the people you spend your time with are not creative, you are likely to follow them in the same way.

To become more creative we need to seek out people who are more creative.  Use Meetup groups, lectures, and conferences, take art gallery trips and attend music festivals, to help enhance your creative side.

Do the same things but differently

We have already discussed the natural creativeness that we have when we are born, but develop shortcuts as we age and decrease our creativity.

To exercise, increase and enhance your creativity, tackle a problem you know the answer to with a different solution to the one you would normally use.

Make Mistakes

This is a fundamental element of how we learn and a big part of the reason we decrease in creativity as we age.  We don’t want to be wrong.  We think it’s embarrassing and feel incompetent, but it should actually be seen as a positive because so much can be learned through being wrong, often more so than being right all the time.

No idea is a bad idea, they might just be a step in the path to the best idea.

Brain Training

If the training and information levels you put into your brain increase, then so does your creativity level, especially if you undertake a broad range or training.

Never stop learning.  No one is too old to learn something new.

Pick a new hobby, enroll in an evening class, apply for that Master’s degree you always wanted to do but never quite got round to…

All learning, no matter the topic is helpful to the enhancement of creativity.

Concluding Modafinil Use to aid Creativity

When used responsibly, Modafinil can enhance creativity.

The process of creativity has four stages to it: preparation, incubation, illumination, validation.  Modafinil is effective for stages one and four but must not be used in stages two and three.

Modafinil is a safe and useful creative tool.  It can make the imagination much more capable of achieving greater creativity levels.