Short Oxygen Pulses Enhance Creative Problem-Solving

Abstract

Creativity is central to human innovation, yet it often fluctuates from moment to moment. Identifying simple interventions to reliably boost creativity has broad scientific and societal value. Here, we tested whether short-pulse oxygen inhalation enhances creative problem-solving. Sixty participants performed two established tasks: the Alternative Uses Test (AUT), capturing divergent idea generation, and the Fusion Innovation Test (FIT), assessing both divergent and convergent thinking. Oxygen ([~]40% FiO2) was delivered in 1-minute pulses at 3-4-minute intervals, designed to align with intrinsic brain flexibility rhythms. Responses were scored for novelty, feasibility, and goal attainment using a validated GPT-based method. Linear mixed-effects regression revealed that oxygen significantly enhances both the quality and quantity of creative ideas across tasks. These findings demonstrate that a safe, low-cost physiological intervention can augment creative performance, providing a new link between oxygen metabolism, neural flexibility, and problem-solving. Significance statementHuman progress depends on creativity, yet individuals often struggle to access their full creative potential. We demonstrate that brief cycles of enriched oxygen inhalation enhance creativity across distinct problem-solving tasks. This safe and low-cost protocol increased both originality and productivity, pointing to oxygen metabolism as a previously underappreciated driver of flexible thinking. The work introduces a novel, scalable approach to support creativity at a time when human innovation is essential alongside advances in artificial intelligence.