Well, as I said, I didn't really have had any problems yet that I wasn't able to solve sober. But I definitely did experience a shift in the understanding for complex topics, an improvement in the ability to visualize abstract subjects and creativity in general.

If you are very focused on something and really willing to solve a problem it can even give you a better inner clarity.

By the way: We are talking low/moderate doses here ;)

Sure, can you give examples of those complex topics?

* Better understanding of concepts like four-dimensional space or spacetime

* Innovative ideas when designing interfaces

* Easier visualisation of tiny/huge scales (time and space - cosmology/biology/physics)

* Deeper understanding of art/music/literature/philosophy

* Being able to look at things from a more neutral perspective and thus better seeing changes that occur over a long period of time or that I'm very closely involved with (society/nature/politics/health)

Those are not your typical complex problems that we're looking for here but for me it still feels as if there could lie some potential. In my case it seems to come down to helping with creativity and the ability to visualize in a more detailed and at the same time neutral way.

I sometimes solve mathematical problems while dreaming — not usually a very clear minded state. Also, how clear the mind is has a lot do with setting. I don't drink alcohol, so I've often been in party places sober. However, while I in that setting my head is as foggy as a sauna. I can easily imagine the opposite, being 'high' in a setting which allows focussing on a difficult problem.