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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Eddie Sylvano on October 8, 2003, at 11:35:41
I had written earlier this year about the idea that creativity might be "caused" by the brain's inability to discard or ignore various interpretations of it's environment, my idea being that the brain forms preferences for it's iterpretations (that are the most useful), and automatically ignores others:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20020829/msgs/1117.htmlIn this way, the brain limits it's workload in interpreting reality. Part of my idea was that creativity and psychosis might be related in that the brain's ability to gate out certain interpretations was degraded, allowing for more of them to attain concious awareness.
A new study seems to support this idea (though not to the letter)...http://www.healthcentral.com/drdean/deanfulltexttopics.cfm?ID=60658&storytype=DeanTopics
Just got excited when i read it and had to share.
Posted by Dinah on October 8, 2003, at 12:03:04
In reply to Creativity:psychosis:emotion revisited, posted by Eddie Sylvano on October 8, 2003, at 11:35:41
It sounds like you are on to something!
It also made me wonder about antipsychotics. As major tranquilizers, do they work by raising the latent inhibition? I've always wondered how what worked very effectively as a major tranquilizer also managed the symptoms of psychosis.
Posted by Eddie Sylvano on October 8, 2003, at 18:28:28
In reply to Re: Creativity:psychosis:emotion revisited, posted by Dinah on October 8, 2003, at 12:03:04
> It also made me wonder about antipsychotics. As major tranquilizers, do they work by raising the latent inhibition? I've always wondered how what worked very effectively as a major tranquilizer also managed the symptoms of psychosis.
--------I've never read a decent treatment of the biological underpinnings of psychosis. It's so varied. There's senile dementia, schizophrenia, depressive psychotic fugues, drug-induced psychosis, etc. The antipsychotics are dopamine (D2) receptor antagonists, so the pharmaceutical industry seems to buy the dopamine dysregulation gambit. Schizophrenia is odd too, in that it expresses postive and negative symptoms. It seems to me that research into Alzheimer's might be the most fruitful route. There'a a neat drug called memantine that works by softening neuronal sensitivity to glutamate, and works well in a lot of dementia cases. Glutamate is an excitatory messenger that causes neurons to depolarize, and thus fire. It would seem that in dementia patients, there is a dysregulation of either the amount of, or the response to glutamate. All this rapid firing eventually degrades the neurons ability to function correctly, and so the brain's functioning deteriorates. More simply, memantine calms down the brain's activity, acting like (as you mentioned) a tranquilizer.
The whole system is pretty complex and crazy. Theorizing the big picture is a lot easier than practicing informed pharmacology.
Posted by madwand on October 9, 2003, at 17:04:13
In reply to Creativity:psychosis:emotion revisited, posted by Eddie Sylvano on October 8, 2003, at 11:35:41
Eddie,
Thanks for the link (both your theory and the article). This is a connection I have always found fascinating (I am a computer person too, BTW).
My orientation is a bit toward the Jungian/metaphysical so this might conflict a bit with your take (which seems to lean more toward the biological), but I will offer this up for what its worth.
Some years ago (meaning I am probably due for a re-read) I encountered a fascinating book that dealt with the relationship between creativity and addiction from a Jungian perspective. Not quite the same subject, but I suspect they draw from the same space (that "primal chaos" that can bring both insight and insanity).
Anyway, the book is called "Witness to the Fire: Creativity and the Veil of Addition" by Linda Leonard (a Jungian analyst). It isn't light reading, but it is a fascinating exploration of the subject (she uses well-known characters from literature to illustrate how various Archetypes are involved).
Hope this proves of interest to someone.Michael
Posted by EscherDementian on October 12, 2003, at 0:15:59
In reply to Re: Creativity:psychosis:emotion revisited » Eddie Sylvano, posted by madwand on October 9, 2003, at 17:04:13
Wonderful Book!! Fascinating.
I'm going for a reread too, now that you brought it up. Thank you Michael.
Dinah, i've often observed a connection between my own non-medicated ADD thought presentation and my creativity. It has to do with 'seeing' everything simultaneously vs in a linear progression(when medicated).
Escher
Posted by madwand on October 12, 2003, at 11:46:19
In reply to Re: Creativity:psychosis:emotion revisited » Eddie Sylvano, posted by madwand on October 9, 2003, at 17:04:13
BTW, for those not already familiar with the book like Escher was, I fluffed the title. It is really:
"Witness to the Fire: Creativity and the Veil of Addiction"
not 'Veil of Addition'. Although perhaps that would be a good title for a future book (for those tortured souls who are powerless over arithmetic).
Michael
Posted by EscherDementian on October 13, 2003, at 4:59:04
In reply to Correction on the title, posted by madwand on October 12, 2003, at 11:46:19
erhm???
You got it right the first time, Michael ~ It just wasn't in "Doubledouble Quotesquotes"...
:)
Posted by madwand on October 13, 2003, at 8:46:59
In reply to Re: Correction on the title » madwand, posted by EscherDementian on October 13, 2003, at 4:59:04
Uh, I fear you have fallen into my seductive misspelling. It was so seductive I even posted a note over on Admin about "why is doubledouble quotes not working". If you will read the original note carefully you see that is says "addition" not "addiction".
Sort of like that old puzzle about "Paris in the the Spring" (with the "the's" on two different lines you don't see that there are two of them).
Or perhaps you were joking and I just didn't get it (too early in the morning!)Michael
PS It was so early this morning the note was still sitting in my browser -- unsent. Argh!
Posted by EscherDementian on October 14, 2003, at 7:15:59
In reply to Re: Correction on the title » EscherDementian, posted by madwand on October 13, 2003, at 8:46:59
Posted by madwand on October 14, 2003, at 7:40:21
In reply to Right Again, Michael! (nm) » madwand, posted by EscherDementian on October 14, 2003, at 7:15:59
Hey, nothing like being right when it was my mistake in the first place. <g> Why don't you come work for my employer -- you can do my next performance review!
Michael
Posted by EscherDementian on October 15, 2003, at 1:08:05
In reply to Re: Right Again, Michael! » EscherDementian, posted by madwand on October 14, 2003, at 7:40:21
~*~laugh~*~
...and i'd be accruate, too!
Where do i appelie for the job?
This is the end of the thread.
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