Creativity is akin to insanity, say scientists who have been studying how the mind works.
Brain scans reveal striking similarities in the thought pathways of highly creative people and those with schizophrenia.
Both groups lack important receptors used to filter and direct thought.
It could be this uninhibited processing that allows creative people to "think outside the box", say experts from Sweden's Karolinska Institute.
In some people, it leads to mental illness.
But rather than a clear division, experts suspect a continuum, with some people having psychotic traits but few negative symptoms.
Art and suffering
Some of the world's leading artists, writers and theorists have also had mental illnesses - the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh and American mathematician John Nash (portrayed by Russell Crowe in the film A Beautiful Mind) to name just two.
Creativity is known to be associated with an increased risk of depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Thalamus The thalamus channels thoughts
Similarly, people who have mental illness in their family have a higher chance of being creative.
Associate Professor Fredrik Ullen believes his findings could help explain why.
He looked at the brain's dopamine (D2) receptor genes which experts believe govern divergent thought.
He found highly creative people who did well on tests of divergent thought had a lower than expected density of D2 receptors in the thalamus - as do people with schizophrenia.
The thalamus serves as a relay centre, filtering information before it reaches areas of the cortex, which is responsible, amongst other things, for cognition and reasoning.
"Fewer D2 receptors in the thalamus probably means a lower degree of signal filtering, and thus a higher flow of information from the thalamus," said Professor Ullen.
>>1
Wow I was just discussing a theory I came up with about low dopamine response possibly causing mental illness less than a few weeks ago. It was a bit different though. Mine went like this:
Dopamine causes people to respond positively to novelty. This would mean that people with low dopamine activity have trouble satisfying their urge for new and exciting things. Therefore their behavior is prone to irrational reckless endangerment. I guess it follows suit that people with this deficiency would be so concerned with doing things 'differently' and being driven to be creative.
>>21
Logical thinking and analysis are part of being good at science. The reverse isn't true for art. To most people, good art just implies high technical ability.
>>13
multiple intelligence theories are unsubstantiated by fact
Name:
Anonymous2010-06-01 21:49
>>7 Implying that intelligence (actual intelligence -- not that made-up "book smart" garbage, ie. someone who is knowledgeable but a regular idiot) and creativity are not mutual
>>25 made-up "book smart" garbage
It's interesting how it's uncontroversial that working out will improve your physical condition, but suggesting that the same is true for intelligence is somehow heresy.
Name:
Anonymous2010-06-02 3:13
>>27
A seeming contradiction. In practice, intellectual workout is about as useful for your average imbecile as regular workout is useful for somebody with muscular dystrophy. I.e. It might help avoid a worsening condition, but will hardly solve the underlying problem.
>>27
I don't believe that memorizing many facts is a "work-out" for your mind in that sense. And agree with >>28 but too lazy to articulate more thoughts =(
>>32
Memorizing data isn't exactly training. Solving intellectually challenging problems or just doing exercises which make use of one's intelligence can train it.
>>32,34
I don't see why we should dismiss the notion that memorization isn't exercise out of hand. The most basic definition of intelligence is the size of the short-term memory, which memorization certainly targets.
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Anonymous2010-06-02 10:24
>>32,34,35
The skill of inputting data/information into our brains for future recall is truly a important skill that needs training. If you look at the world's memory masters, they'll tell you that they constantly practise memorizing things as exercise to maintain their skill.
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Anonymous2010-06-02 10:48
>>36
fucking waste of time too when we've 2500 years of practice at WRITING SHIT DOWN specifically to avoid having to rely on the wetware's questionable retention rates
Name:
Anonymous2010-06-02 11:04
>>37
I find it more convenient to practise the art of learning, memory and recollection rather than lugging around utensils to collect data and then having to maintain each recording. Also, you've probably never witnessed these world memory masters in action; there's no doubt that they have superior retention rates due to their experience and techniques that result in their present skill.
Name:
Anonymous2010-06-02 11:09
>>38
your first point is invalid:
- you already lug around you laptop;
- how much lugging is required for a pen, seriously?
memory masters, yawn.
a perfectly useless skill developed at great expense of time and energy, especially when the state has already sunk 12 years into teaching the dumbass how to read and write.
Name:
Anonymous2010-06-02 11:30
>>39
It takes effort and practise to pursue a skill that is used merely for convenience! You don't say!
>>37
Good luck knowing what is written down and where to find it when your memory is crap. Intelligence isn't just about the ability to solve problems, but also about the speed with which you solve them; looking shit up all the time slows you right the fuck down.
I know your self-image depends on believing you're the cream of the crop when it comes to intelligence despite having no particular skills or knowledge, but that doesn't hold up anymore once you leave middle school. IQ and memory are closely correlated.