Creativity Potentially Linked To Schizophrenia 215
mcgrew writes "New Scientist is reporting that creativity may be linked to schizophrenia via a common gene. Szabolcs Kéri, a researcher at Semmelweis University in Budapest, Hungary, carried a study of creative people. 'Kéri examined a gene involved in brain development called neuregulin 1, which previous studies have linked to a slightly increased risk of schizophrenia. Moreover, a single DNA letter mutation that affects how much of the neuregulin 1 protein is made in the brain has been linked to psychosis, poor memory and sensitivity to criticism. About 50 per cent of healthy Europeans have one copy of this mutation, while 15 per cent possess two copies. People with two copies of the neuregulin 1 mutation — about 12 per cent of the study participants — tended to score notably higher on these measures of creativity, compared with other volunteers with one or no copy of the mutation. Those with one copy were also judged to be more creative, on average, than volunteers without the mutation.' They hypothesize that people with this gene with high IQs are creative, while those with lower IQs are simply prone to the hallucinations that characterize the disease."
Crazy Chef Sato (Score:5, Interesting)
This was on the menu of my favorite Restaurant throughout the 1990s in Beaverton, OR (It died when Tektronix scaled back):
Eight out of ten people are normal
One maybe genius,
One maybe crazy,
I hesitate to call myself genius,
That leaves only one choice
Easily the most creative Japanese/American fusion chef I've ever met.
i've always suspected as much. (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:so wait ... (Score:3, Interesting)
If you are smart enough to know when you have "weird thoughts", you can shrug your shoulders and go on with life, perhaps even putting those "creative notions" to some practical or artistic use.
If you are not too bright, you might believe all manner of crazy shit your mind comes up with and act on it. The worst cases might start a religion or live with the pigeons.
Re:Crazy Chef Sato (Score:5, Interesting)
I just tell my friends that I'm half crazy. Whether that means all crazy half the time, or half crazy all the time I leave for them to decide.
Went through a period of psychosis in my late teens, but stayed off the anti-psychotics. Took quite a while, but got back on track without the pseudo-science quackery of psychiatry. Now I run my own business and live a pretty balanced life as a respected member of my family and the community.
Interestingly enough, the more 'artistic' (ie music) stuff I do, the more sorta crazy I get, the more I keep the artistic side in check and balanced with other things, the more 'sane' I am. Never really thought about it like that before though...
Not true in my case (Score:4, Interesting)
Well,
1) I have schizophrenia (paranoid delusional, no visual or auditory hallucinations).
2) I am not creative, at all...in any artistic sense. Except maybe with words, poetry, scrabble.
3) I have an extremely vivid and active imagination.
4) My nervous system is very sensitive, I have to take meds to 'turn them down' so I'm relaxed.
5) I have an IQ of 133 and an interest in math and science; degrees in physics and computer science.
Re:Crazy Chef Sato (Score:4, Interesting)
That reminds me of a slightly lower functioning autistic (I have Asperger's and I'm into the neurodiversity movement) on youtube as of late- who insists that her behavior MUST be interpreted as communication because she's "communicating" with her environment (water, wind, sunlight, etc). Apparently nobody ever taught her that communication had to be two way with another sentient mind....
Re:Crazy Chef Sato (Score:3, Interesting)
Wow, respect! I know how incredibly hard it is to get back on track! You have my full respect! And from the notion of "quackery", I know that you really know what psychatry is. ^^
I hope they soon are able to base psychology on a proper neurologic foundation, and can then throw away what we call psychatry, and many of thosp pseudo-therapies of psychology, and actually cure people, instead of just muting their brain functionaliy or talking and talking without results.
About the music: If you think your stuff is crazy, you clearly do not know Aphex Twin. check out the videos to "Windowlicker" and "Come to daddy", then the teaser video "Rubber Johnny" and the track "Omgyjya Switch 7" from the album "Druqs". Then look at this picture: http://navid.radiantempire.com/pub/pix/aphex_twin.jpg [radiantempire.com]
And he is called one of the greatest geniuses of electronic music!
Then think about stuff like Marilyn Manson or Eisregen (German gothic psycho "band").
All in all, I think you're good, no matter what music you do. :D
Re:Makes sense of a sort (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:Makes sense of a sort (Score:3, Interesting)
Personality disorders are better thought of as a culture that's unique the the person and not to the people around which the person is living. It's a systematic adjustment that the brain makes to cope with adverse conditions and it's not something which can be readily separated from the individual's self. As opposed to mental illnesses where people will frequently have periods, however brief, of remission.
Of course (Score:3, Interesting)
Its easier to solve a problem when you put two people on it. Even if they're both in my head.