Salvador Dali's Used Certain Method to Wake Up His Creative Side

Salvador Dali was an explorer of the psyche, a “psychonaut” who never needed drugs to achieve creative ecstasy. He came up with a strategy to awaken and enhance his creativity.

Dali often took a siesta and brought a spoon with him every time. After eating, he would sit in an armchair, holding the utensil in one of his hands and leaving a plate on the floor.

His nap lasted only a few minutes because his purpose was not to fall asleep but to reach a hypnagogic state. The moment he began to doze, the spoon would slip from his fingers and clang on the plate, immediately waking him to capture the surreal images.

This technique allowed him to travel between dreaming and waking. The painter used this method every afternoon.