Comments on: Madness and Genius

By: M.R.Sethi

M.R.Sethi — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:37:48 +0000

There may or may not be any link between creativity and madness. This subject has been romanticized by writers, psychologists and psychiatrists. Very often, the artist (including writers and philosophers) have been called mad because they present something unique or shock the prevalent and established ideas by their shockingly novel ideas. Secondly, as they are lost in their thoughts or the dream world of their imagination, they tend to cut themselves off from their surroundings and become somewhat reclusive, making others call them mad. Thirdly, the sudden burst of some unique idea in the mind of the artist or the writer makes him behave in an eccentric way which may make him seem unhinged. If Socrates would often stand in one corner of the street for hours together lost in his thoughts, the onlookers called him weird. If on getting the solution to his long-thought of problem, Archimedes runs naked out of his bath room, he was only sans his clothes, not sans his mental faculties. The pressure of the creative process also often leaves the author bewildered. According to a psychiatrist, the mind of a mad person is like a clock which is out of order and stuck at a particular time. A creative mind is also like that clock as his mind is stuck for days together fixed on some particular idea. During the time when he is involved in that creative process, he may seem mad.

By: Jo Hurlow

Jo Hurlow — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:39:17 +0000

This is a reasonable brief assessment of some of the studies, but there are many more out there. I wonder if you were awake when you listened to the Maudsley debate because clearly a lot of interesting things were said. I disagree with the nihilistic notion that creativity and mental disorder are held indefinitely hostage by our poor ability to define what we are talking about. This can be overcome simply by basing research on extremes that only radicals would try to deny the existence of. There are also very explicit measures for creativity and mental disorder out there. It is time, money and effort that is needed to measure these things, not sophistry.

By: Seshat

Seshat — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 18:22:08 +0000

A suggestion for your further reading; In “The madness of Adam and Eve: how schizophrenia shaped humanity“, David Horrobin looks at a possible connection between madness and creativity from an evolutionary perspective. The author attempts to explain the “great leap forward” in human creativity that took place about 10,000 years ago in terms of changes in brain biochemistry that resulted from a change of diet (grossly oversimplified summary of his theories). This he links to a genetic tendency toward both schizophrenia (and related disorders) and creativity & high intelligence. He cites examples of Nobel prizewinning scientists that have suffered from mental illness, suggesting that, as you said, this phenomenon is not just limited to the arts (although the private lives of scientists don’t tend to be subjected to the same scrutiny, so we are less likely to hear about them). I guess you could say that either creativity is a positive side effect of ‘disordered’ mental states, or, mental illness is a price we sometimes pay for the more flexible thought processes possessed by creative individuals. Its a compelling argument, I have no idea whether it is correct as I don’t have enough expertise in all the fields involved, but its one of the most thought provoking books I’ve ever read.

By: Brenda Mayer

Brenda Mayer — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:40:48 +0000

Hi,

I think I can add to this discussion since I am an artist diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Each of you has touched on a piece of my experience.

I do believe there’s a difference in my perceptions, openmindedness, and sensitivities due to my moods that enable me to see things a little differently. There’s also a sense of making connections that aren’t obvious to others. I think in pictures and at times have strong emotional reactions to things that can seem perfectly ordinary to others. I perceive things differently.

I agree that creativity is not limited to the arts. I would think creativity is a requirement for innovative thinking regardless of the profession. All it is, in my view, is making connections and being willing to look at a situation differently. Taking chances and wondering what would happen if I made this or that change.

I don’t know about the word “genius” and I’m not sure what that is. While there are certainly instances, I think most of the time what we consider to be genius is a touch of innate characteristics that require an enormous amount of work to develop.

The problem is that I am generally unable to get much drawing or painting done when I’m at either extreme. Most people I talk to are a little surprised by that. They tend to have a mental image of a brooding artist releasing angst or the energetic painter attacking a canvas.

However, what hasn’t been mentioned, is that there is a great deal of therapeutic benefit in having this creative outlet. In a depressive episode I can lose myself for hours and when I’m manic I can generate broad based unconventional ideas for development when I’m more stable. It’s a release, and makes the discomfort more bearable. Sometimes when I can’t describe in words what is going on in my head I can paint it and there’s a satisfaction in seeing those invisible disordered thoughts in a more concrete way. I’m much more pleasant.

I wouldn’t be able to not paint, if that makes any sense.

By: fiorella

fiorella — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 17:30:40 +0000

hi! i´ve found your post really interesting.. i think there is so much to continue investigating on humanities and psychiatry
the context where all things happen is so important on the “label” or “diagnose” and therefore treatment you are going to use for your patient…
personally i believe that depressive states or periods of “personal crisis” can teachs us how to look life on a more creative and comprehensive way… for the chinese the “ideograma” (i don´t know how it´s written in english) of crisis is the same as opportunity, i think that´s a wise way of seeing life.

By: Mental health nurse

Mental health nurse — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:38:08 +0000

To quote from ‘The Meaning of Madness’ by Neel Burton:

‘After carying out a detailed study of some of the most eminent personalities of the twentieth century, the psychiatrist Felix Post (1913-2001) postulated that the psychological discomfort that accompanies a mental disorder is in itself the principal driver of creative expression, and many artists have asserted that the creative act enables them both to stave off and to sublime their depressive anguish.’

By: Zarathustra

Zarathustra — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:23:43 +0000

@Neuroskeptic

I think creativity tends to be more associated with mania rather than depression. There’s a lot of great artists who had bipolar disorder, but they tended to do all their work in the manic phase rather than when depressed.

By: Neuroskeptic

Neuroskeptic — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:05:32 +0000

I’ve always been skeptical of the idea that depression could aid in creativity – just on the basis that it my experience depression means not feeling keen on creating a sandwich let alone anything more involved.

I suppose there might be something in the idea that depression teaches you things that are then useful when you come to do creative stuff after the depression has passed.

I’m not convinced, though. I suppose going through any difficult experience could be a useful source of matieral for a novelist or poet, but I don’t think experiencing depression would be any more useful than, say, having a heart attack, or breaking your leg…

By: Zarathustra

Zarathustra — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:27:45 +0000

Let’s not forget Spike Milligan:

On the Ning Nang Nong
Where the Cows go Bong!
and the monkeys all say BOO!
There’s a Nong Nang Ning
Where the trees go Ping!
And the tea pots jibber jabber joo.
On the Nong Ning Nang
All the mice go Clang
And you just can’t catch ‘em when they do!
So its Ning Nang Nong
Cows go Bong!
Nong Nang Ning
Trees go ping
Nong Ning Nang
The mice go Clang
What a noisy place to belong
is the Ning Nang Ning Nang Nong!!

It wouldn’t be hard to imagine that he was manic when he wrote that.

By: thirst for truth

thirst for truth — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 08:21:46 +0000

I agree that, as with many great debates, the “madness and genius” link debate is greatly hampered by problems with definition. Was Jackson ‘mad’ merely because he was ‘wacko’ (ie eccentric, surrounded by sycophants, and probably high on prescription drugs)?

Try also: “Touched with Fire: Manic-depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament” by Kay Redfield Jamison, famous mood disorder researcher / therapist. She has also experienced bipolar illness and has a family history of this, so her opinions can’t be entirely dispassionate – but are well thought out.