P-956 - On the edge of creativity and psychopathology

Abstract

Creativity is a divine madness, a gift from the gods (Plato)…No great genius was without a mixture of insanity (Aristotle/Seneca)…The only difference between me and a madman is that I am not mad (Slvador Dali)…Imagination is more important than knowledge (Albert Einstein)… Creativity is a complex multidimensional concept still no defined and no cleared until the end. It is a capability of creating original ideas or products of wide social use; a mental function apears independent of complex functions grouped in the concept of intelligence even though in close correlations with them. Many genious people through history, philosophers, artists, scientists suffered from some psychiatric disease, mostly bipolar affective disease, shizotipal personality disorder, psychoses, dependencies, suicidal behavior, as well as psychiatric comorbidity. Recently, there are many theories explaining the connect points between creativity and psychopathology such as personality as a bridge betwenn two entities, cultural and historical roots, theory of chaos, intuition, spirityality, perception of normal and deviant etc. In this study we are going to present review of literature on this issue. In conclusion, recent attitude on this issue is that creativity (geniusness) and psuchopathology have the same roots in the common source. Recent neuroscientistic researches support the idea that creativity and psychopathology are elements of the same continuum.