Author | Message |
Fine Line Revealed Between Creativity and Insanity By Ker Than
LiveScience Staff Writer posted: 07 September 2005 03:09 pm ET History suggests that the line between creativity and madness is a fine one, but a small group of people known as schizotypes are able to walk it with few problems and even benefit from it. A new study confirms that their enhanced creativity may come from using more of the right side of the brain than the rest of us. In the spectrum between normal and insane, schizotypes generally fall somewhere in the middle. While they do not suffer many of the symptoms affecting schizophrenics, including paranoia, hallucinations and incoherent thoughts, schizotypes often exhibit their own eccentricities. "They may dress or carry themselves in a strange way," says Bradley Folley, a graduate student in clinical psychology at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee and the lead author of the study. "They’re not abnormal, they live normal lives but they often have idiosyncratic ways of thinking. Certain things may have special meaning for them or they may be more spiritually attuned." Problem solving The link between creativity and psychosis has largely been based on anecdotal evidence and correlation studies. The Vanderbilt study is the first to investigate the creative process experimentally using brain-imaging techniques. The researchers defined creativity as the ability to generate something new and useful from existing products or ideas. "Creativity at its base is associative," Folley told LiveScience. "It’s taking things that you might see and pass by everyday and using them in a novel way to solve a new problem." The researchers conducted two experiments to compare the creative thinking processes of schizotypes, schizophrenics and normal control subjects. In the first experiment, subjects were shown a variety of household objects and asked to come up with new functions for them. For example, all three groups would be asked to come up with possible uses for a needle and thread. While the normal and schizophrenic controls came up with pretty typical responses like sewing or stitching, one schizotype said that if a person was poor but wanted to get engaged, he could use the thread to make a ring and use the needle to write "I Love You," in the sand. Picture this In the second experiment, the three groups were again asked to come up with creative uses for everyday objects, but this time their brains were monitored using a brain-imaging technique called near-infrared optical spectroscopy. The scans showed that both sides of the brain in all three groups were active when making novel associations. However, in the brains of schizotypes, the activation of the right hemisphere was much higher compared to brains of the control subjects. Folley speculates that what may be happening is that schizotypes may either have more access to the right hemisphere than the average population or there may be more efficient communication between the two hemispheres. The finding is detailed online in the journal Schizophrenia Research So, is Prince a Schizotype, or what? Do not hurry yourself in your spirit to become offended, for the taking of offense is what rests in the bosom of the stupid ones. (Ecclesiastes 7:9) | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
thank goodness | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
possibly, | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Cloudbuster said: lets conduct research on you. Cloudy, what other possible uses could you come up with for a cucumber? | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
LleeLlee said: lets conduct research on you.
Cloudy, what other possible uses could you come up with for a cucumber? I'd stick a blade in one end and use it as a razor. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Cloudbuster said: LleeLlee said: lets conduct research on you.
Cloudy, what other possible uses could you come up with for a cucumber? I'd stick a blade in one end and use it as a razor. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Cloudbuster said: LleeLlee said: lets conduct research on you.
Cloudy, what other possible uses could you come up with for a cucumber? I'd stick a blade in one end and use it as a razor. I declare you as a bit weird and very slutty | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Cloudbuster said: here she is miss-alittle-weird-and-a-tad-bit-slutty- | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
ella731 said: Cloudbuster said: I'd stick a blade in one end and use it as a razor. I think he has vegetable issues. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
LleeLlee said: ella731 said: I think he has vegetable issues. I think in all actuallity he just has issues, all the way around | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
lol cheeky | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
ella731 said: Cloudbuster said: here she is miss-alittle-weird-and-a-tad-bit-slutty- Today is his being a "she" day. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
LleeLlee said: ella731 said: here she is miss-alittle-weird-and-a-tad-bit-slutty- Today is his being a "she" day. sometimes we all need a little role reversal | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
ella731 said: LleeLlee said: I think he has vegetable issues. I think in all actuallity he just has issues, all the way around He is a bag of nerves when he has to buy tomatoes. you should see him. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
ella731 said: LleeLlee said: Today is his being a "she" day. sometimes we all need a little role reversal Has he asked to borrow your hair yet Ella? He has asked for mine but I pretended I didn't hear him. .... [Edited 9/14/05 7:51am] | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
LleeLlee said: ella731 said: sometimes we all need a little role reversal Has he asked to borrow your hair yet Ella? He has asked for mine but pretended I didn't hear him. I think he asked for my beard shavings once but i wasnt sure | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
ella731 said: LleeLlee said: Has he asked to borrow your hair yet Ella? He has asked for mine but pretended I didn't hear him. I think he asked for my beard shavings once but i wasnt sure He wanted to stick them to his chin as his beard nurturing capabilities are somewhat lacking. i.e it grows on his feet. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
LleeLlee said: ella731 said: I think he asked for my beard shavings once but i wasnt sure He wanted to stick them to his chin as his beard nurturing capabilities are somewhat lacking. i.e it grows on his feet. i wasnt aware he was part hobbit | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
ella731 said: LleeLlee said: He wanted to stick them to his chin as his beard nurturing capabilities are somewhat lacking. i.e it grows on his feet. i wasnt aware he was part hobbit He's the one on the left. I call him "Hoofbuster." | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
LleeLlee said: ella731 said: i wasnt aware he was part hobbit He's the one on the left. I call him "Hoofbuster." | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
JediMaster said: 'Fine Line Revealed Between Creativity and Insanity'
Excuse me! Ain't this the Paul McCartney thread? | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
ella731 said: LleeLlee said: He's the one on the left. I call him "Hoofbuster." Enough! You two outside my office in 10 mins. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Cloudbuster said: ella731 said: Enough! You two outside my office in 10 mins. as long as you dont ask for a "shoe" changing | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Cloudbuster said: ella731 said: Enough! You two outside my office in 10 mins. you just want us to sit in your saddle. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
LleeLlee said: Cloudbuster said: Enough! You two outside my office in 10 mins. you just want us to sit in your saddle. That one will cause nightmares for days | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Wow, this thread got jacked so well, it needs a cigarette! Do not hurry yourself in your spirit to become offended, for the taking of offense is what rests in the bosom of the stupid ones. (Ecclesiastes 7:9) | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |