Creativity and Insanity More Alike Than You Think

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Creativity and Insanity More Alike Than You Think

 

There is a common notion that there is only a fine line between

creativity and insanity. A small group of people known as schizotypes

may essentially live on that line.

 

Between Genius and Madness

 

Schizotypes fall in the midpoint between sanity and insanity. They do

not suffer most of the symptoms of schizophrenia, such as paranoia and

hallucinations, but they often exhibit both eccentricities and

enhanced creativity. A new study confirms that both may come from

their using more of the right side of the brain than the rest of us.

 

Scanning Your Brain

 

The link between creativity and aberrant behavior has generally been

based on anecdotal evidence. The new study used brain-imaging

techniques to investigate the creative process in an experimental

manner, with " creativity " being defined as the ability to generate

something new and useful from pre-existing materials or ideas.

 

The researchers compared the creative thinking processes of

schizotypes, schizophrenics, and normal control subjects.

 

Schizotypes Used Their Right Brain More

 

Scans showed that both sides of the brain in all three types were

active when making novel associations. But in schizotypes, the

activity in the right hemisphere was much higher when compared to the

control subjects, and they also came up with a wider variety of

creative ideas.

 

It was theorized that schizotypes may have more access to the right

hemisphere of the brain, or that they may exhibit more efficient

communication between the two hemispheres.

 

Live Science September 7, 2005

 

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

 

It is amazing how much of the forward progress made in history has

been by people who weren't conventional, but rather thought in odd,

new ways.

 

That has to be the case, doesn't it? If they didn't think in different

ways, they wouldn't have come up with different ideas -- even though

that probably made them seem somewhat off-kilter to those around them.

 

New ideas in our culture typically follow a familiar pattern. They are

usually:

 

* First derided

* Then attacked

* Then finally accepted

 

I have been working iconoclastically to overthrow popular modern

American medical concepts for many years now and am VERY familiar with

the process. Can't tell you how many thousands of people have labeled

me as a quack only to have the same people years later recant and

confirm that the ideas I was teaching were indeed true.

 

Always be careful to think for yourself and check out new ideas when

you hear about them. Many of the practices of " alternative " medicine

that used to be viewed as fringe or crackpot are now accepted as

common sense, and many more that are still viewed as fringe or

crackpot are, frankly, better for your health than conventional medicine.

 

Whenever you hear about a new, odd-sounding idea, think for yourself,

don't blindly accept it. Take the time to thoroughly examine,

investigate and determine the truth as best you can.

 

Believe me, it is FAR easier to do this now than it used to be. With

the Internet and a bit of time, in a matter of a few hours you can

become more knowledgeable in a topic that 10 years ago would have

taken a person months to achieve.

 

We are in the middle of a massive paradigm shift and most of us don't

recognize it. You have access to incredible power and tools that only

a few years ago even the wealthiest and smartest people on the planet

would have been envious of.

 

 

 

Related Articles:

 

Do You Really Only Use 10 Percent of Your Brain?

 

Further Your Brain Development With Meditation

 

Do You Really Want to Risk Losing Your Mind?