Illness and Creativity
Running Head: ILLNESS AND CREATIVTY
Illness and Creativity Associated with Neurological Disorders
Evans C. Wralstad
Floyd E. Kellam High School AP Psychology (1B)
11 March 2008
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Abstract
This research paper will discuss the theory of a link between creativity and neurological
disorders and will explore ideas such as a biological dynamic that explains the link, creativity
serving as a form of relief from disorders, and how coping with creative genius and mental
illness occurs. Oliver Sacks' book, An Anthropologist on Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales, will
also be explored in detail as it presents case studies pertinent to the so-called “creativity-disorder
debate”. The overall focus of the research is to study and support the existence of the creativitydisorder link and provide first-hand examples in support of the theory.
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Illness and Creativity Associated with Neurological Disorders
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Edgar Allen Poe, Ernest Hemingway, Winston Churchill,
Vincent Van Gogh, and Ludwig von Beethoven are but a few of the greatest minds of our time.
What is more interesting to note, however, is that each of these people were diagnosed with a
neurological disorder, either while alive or posthumously. Diagnoses ranged from major
depressive disorder to “manic-depressive disorder” (now recognized as bipolar disorder).
Multiple research studies have uncovered a surprising discovery: the possibility of a link
between neurological disorders and creativity. Neurological disorders, also known as
psychological disorders, are classified as “'harmful dysfunction[s]' in which behavior is judged to
be atypical, disturbing, maladaptive, and unjustifiable” (Myers, 2004, p. 620). Creativity is
defined as “the ability to produce novel and valuable ideas” (Myers, p. 428). Psychologists have
explored the link between these seemingly contradictory and paradoxical terms and are still
attempting to understand the curious correlation that these two concepts may have. Author and
neurologist Oliver Sacks even wrote a book on the idea of neurological disorders and creativity
being linked. Entitled An Anthropologist on Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales, the book explores
this fascinating link and provides seven first-hand accounts on the subject in an attempt to
enlighten both the curious reader and the learned professional on one of psychology's many
peculiar subjects. The book causes one to contemplate many things: the nature of this link, the
possibility of a biological basis, and how individuals cope with both mental dysfunction and
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creative genius - all of which will be explored in detail.
In the not-so-distant past, mentally “ill” individuals were locked away in institutions,
mistreated, and forgotten by the whole of society. Today, however, these afflicted people are
treated much like any other human being, albeit as unusual ones. Neuroscientists have spent
considerable time and effort attempting to understand mental illness, and have made several
breakthroughs, amongst these the understanding that chemical imbalances and abnormal brain
structuring may be to blame for mental illness. As a result, neurologists have begun to
understand the biological basis of the link between creativity and mental disorders. Science
Daily, an online research database, writes:
The study in the September issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
says the brains of creative people appear to be more open to incoming stimuli from the
surrounding environment. Other people's brains might shut out this same information
through a process called "latent inhibition" - defined as an animal's unconscious capacity
to ignore stimuli that experience has shown are irrelevant to its needs. Through
psychological testing, the researchers showed that creative individuals are much more
likely to have low levels of latent inhibition. (“Biological Basis for Creativity Linked to
Mental Illness,” 2003)
Such “latent inhibition” is referenced in the psychological world as selective attention, which is
defined as “the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus, as in the cocktail party
effect” (Myers, 2004, p. 232). According to Science Daily, selective attention is an unconscious
capacity present in most fully-functional people; in those afflicted with neurological disorders,
however, selective attention may be less functional, or altogether nonexistent. Science Daily
continues by stating that “[t]he normal person classifies an object, and then forgets about it, even
though that object is much more complex and interesting than he or she thinks. The creative
person, by contrast, is always open to new possibilities” (“Biological Basis for Creativity Linked
to Mental Illness”). Such findings are incredibly interesting, as they bring into light several
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correlations that help explain the creativity-illness phenomenon. First and foremost, this “low
level of latent inhibition” is frequently seen in schizophrenics, who seem to have a breakdown of
selective attention upon developing the disorder (Myers, 2004, p. 647). Not surprisingly,
schizophrenia is one of the leading disorders mentioned when discussing creativity within
mentally dysfunctional people. This low level of latent inhibition may give mentally ill artists an
edge in their ability. Schizophrenics, amongst other mentally ill artists, have the ability to be
amazed and enthralled by even the tiniest of subjects, which fully functional people might
acknowledge but otherwise pay little attention to. The biological basis of the creativity-disorder
link sheds light on the mechanics behind the phenomenon. How these individuals cope with
mental disorders in the form of creativity, however, bring new insight into the concept.
The unique internal state of mentally ill people allows them to view the world in concomitantly
interesting and novel ways. To a victim of manic episodes, the sounds of the city might inspire a
symphony in which the orchestra frantically mimics the whir of sirens, the rumbling of subways,
the hum of a car engine, and the chaos of chattering; a person with major depressive disorder
may feel the need to paint a likeness of the sun in hues of dark blue and violet; someone afflicted
by panic anxiety disorder might, during the onset of an attack, write a brief narrative that
captures the terror and hysteria that coincides with such an episode. Artistic expression seems to
be a way for individuals to “escape” the confines of their mental illness. Freud might consider
such actions an example of utilizing defense mechanisms, in this case symbolization, whereby
individuals turn unwanted thoughts into metaphoric symbols, and sublimation, whereby
individuals express unconscious conflicts in constructive forms (“Defense Mechanisms,” n.d.).
This seems to be the case with autistic savants. Savant syndrome is characterized as “a condition
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in which a person otherwise limited in mental ability has an exceptional specific skill, such as in
computation or drawing” (Myers, 2004, p. 425). Savants, though limited (sometimes severely) in
mental capacity for basic functions such as social interaction and acknowledgment of the “theory
of mind”, show incredible expertise in one specific ability, be it art, memorization, or logic
computation. In autistic subjects (of which Savants are a subset), the areas of the brain dealing
with social functioning are relatively inactive, and are instead utilized for other purposes, such as
artistic ability. Such a concept hearkens back to the earlier discussion of neurological
explanations for the link between neurological disorders and creativity, but it also exemplifies the
idea of utilizing creativity as a method with which to cope with the disorder. Thus, not only is
creativity a possible effect of having a mental disorder, but it is a possible method of dealing with
the disorder. The two seem inextricably linked to one another, as can be seen in Oliver Sacks'
book, An Anthropologist on Mars.
Sacks' book is one of seeming paradoxes; indeed, Sacks even subtitles the book “Seven
Paradoxical Tales”. In the book, he provides testimonials from seven different people, each with
a different psychological disorder, ranging from Tourette's Syndrome to autism to “cerebral
achromatopsia” (loss of all color vision). These testimonials serve two main purposes: they detail
the symptoms and results of such disorders, and they serve to describe how such disorders seem
to “spur” creativity. Of noteworthy mention is the story of Dr. Carl Bennett, the Tourettic surgeon
who is discussed in the chapter “A Surgeon's Life”. Bennett is the victim of Tourette's syndrome,
a neurological disorder that is “characterized, above all, by convulsive tics, by involuntary
mimicry or repetition of others' words or actions (echolalia and echopraxia), and by the
involuntary or compulsive utterances of curses and obscenities (coprolalia)” (Sacks, 1995, p. 77).
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Bennett, despite his affliction, is an extremely able-bodied surgeon in his field. The impulsive,
convulsive behaviors seen in Tourette's victims are in stark contrast to the profession of surgery,
which requires precision, control, and accuracy. Nevertheless, Bennett is able to overcome his
neurological disorder in a way that expresses his form of creativity; he even goes so far as to
describe his experiences:
“Most of the time when I'm operating, it never even crosses my mind that I have
Tourette's,” Bennett says. His whole identity at such times is that of a surgeon at work,
and his entire psychic and neural organization become aligned with this, becomes active,
focused, at ease, un-Tourettic. It is only if the operation is broken for a few minutes- to
review a special X-Ray taken during the surgery, for example- that Bennett, waiting,
unoccupied, remember that he is Tourettic, and in that instant be becomes so. As soon as
the flow of the operation resumes, the Tourette's, the Tourettic identity, vanishes once
again. (Sacks, p. 96)
The recurring theme of creativity as a coping mechanism is again presented, as well as in the
other testimonials provided in Sacks' book. From “Mr. I”, the colorblind painter who overcomes
his disorder by painting monochromatic scenes in extremely vivid detail, to Franco Magnani, the
painter who clears his overflowing short-term memory (the result of his eidetic, or photographic,
memory) by painting scene after scene of his childhood village of Pontito, one sees how
creativity can act as a “safety valve” of sorts in overcoming mental disorders. Sacks' book only
briefly explores the neurological basis behind the creativity-disorder link; instead, he spends his
time detailing how those afflicted with neurological disorders are blessed with creativity and
come to use it as their own form of stress relief. Once again, one comes across the mutualism in
creativity and mental disorders: though mental disorders may spur creativity, creativity may in
turn alleviate some of the problems mental disorders may create.
The link between neurological disorders and creativity is an odd one and is certainly one
that has spurred much interest amongst psychologists of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
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The consensus amongst neurologists, clinical psychologists, and those committed to doing basic
research has suggested that there is a likelihood that the biological basis that causes neurological
disorders may also be the cause of enhanced creativity, and most also agree that creative
processes may help alleviate some of the hardships those afflicted with neurological disorders
may face. For those with depression, the world seems hopeless; for those with schizophrenia, it is
difficult to tell which voices are real and which are delusional; for those with Tourette's, the
future is unpredictable; and for those with savant syndrome, it is difficult to even read another's
emotions. Artistic talents, from painting to musical composition, from prose writing to sculpting,
aid the individual in “forgetting” that he or she is afflicted with a mental disorder. For the
depressed, painting lets the world know how they feel; for the schizophrenic, writing allows the
individual to put the voices on paper; for the Tourettic, surgery allows one to feel they have
control in their environment; and for the autistic, musical composition allows one to embrace a
given talent, often of prodigious proportions. In retrospect, given the wealth of information
supporting the creativity-disorder theory, it is not surprising to learn that many of the great minds
in the history of society were the victim, at one time or another, of a neurological disorder.
Bibliography
Illness and Creativity
Biological Basis for Creativity Linked to Mental Illness (2003, October 3). Retrieved March 4,
2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/10/031001061055.htm
Defense Mechanisms. Retrieved March 5, 2008, from
http://www.crosscreekcounseling.com/defense_mech.html
Myers, D. G. (2004). Psychology (Seventh Edition) (p. 232, 425, 428, 620, 647). New York:
Worth Publishers.
Sacks, O. (1995). An Anthropologist on Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales (p. 77, 96). New
York: Vintage Books.
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