It's interesting that society (especially the conservative side) frowns upon substance abuse, and often thinks of it as a moral failing. Yet so much of our cultural output has relied on substance use/abuse.
Hemingway and Bukowski with alcohol, Philip K Dick with amphetamines, Hunter S Thompson with practically every substance, practically every musician with every substance under the sun.
Art and altered states of mind seem to go hand in hand.
Hunter Thompson has said it a few times in print, though I don't know exactly where. I've definitely read it in at least one of his letters. I first found the quote in a video of him at a podium answering questions for college students. Probably on YouTube but it was a long time ago.
You could look at the people with creative output and ask how drugs help, or you could look at 'non-creative' people and ask how drugs stop them being creative..
Or maybe artists just take/enjoy/use drugs 'because' humans take/enjoy/use drugs. You just only hear about it when it's someone famous for something.
Hemingway and Bukowski with alcohol, Philip K Dick with amphetamines, Hunter S Thompson with practically every substance, practically every musician with every substance under the sun.
Art and altered states of mind seem to go hand in hand.