Well you can read how they were created (unscientifically), and AFAIK there is no evidence that they are beneficial or detrimental to creativity, so if they do

Well you can read how they were created (unscientifically), and AFAIK there is no evidence that they are beneficial or detrimental to creativity, so if they do work, nobody has tested it, or it's in a way that's not easy to measure. Is 'scientific' a requirement? IMHO not at all, in fact it's part of the charm, but if you are looking for a system that is 'proven to work', then obviously this fails.