Unleashed Mind

Scientific American Mind - The Unleashed Mind –Shelley Carson

Notes for Class Discussion

P22 “These individuals often see themselves as different and unable to fit in”

The eccentricity may be a result of how the brain filters incoming information (22)

23 Schizotypal people, for instance, may dress in an idiosyncratic style; their speech patterns may be somewhat out of the ordinary; they may respond ieptly in social situations; their emotional responses may be inapporopriate;they may believe in supernatural phenomena such as telepathy and omens; and they may be hard to get close to – both physically and emotionally.

Creativity and eccentricity are related because there is an underlying mechanism for a propensity for cognitive disinhibition in these individuals.

C.D. – failure to ignore info that is irrelevant to currant goals/survival (mental filters)

26 The ability to use cognitive disinhibition in a creative way depends on the presence of additional cognitive abilities associated with a high level of function.

28 dopamine D2 receptors are decreased in subjects with high-divergent thinking (creative) similar to those found in schizophrenic subjects.  “Reduced dopamine bindings in the thalamus…may decrease cognitive filtering and allow more info. Into conscious awareness.”

“A combination of lower cognitive inhibition and a higher IQ is associated with higher scores on a variety of creativity measures.”