Creators and those mostly brilliant among them often suffer from mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. Scientists say it is due to the substance, dopamine. The brain reacts differently to dopamine, which functions very much in creative people and for people who suffer from mental illness.
Results from recent surveys shows very close similarity between the brain of a healthy creative person and the brain of someone who suffers from schizophrenia.
Experts believe that creative people obviously have no ability to filter the information – ie: they lack what is specific to each person.
This lack, however, helps to generate unique ideas and create unique masterpieces in art such as paintings, sculptures, symphonies ...
Lateral thinking is always accompanied by the absence of important components in the functioning of the brain system, explain Swedish scientists.
Studies show that creativity is common for people in whose family there was someone with mental illness – ie: for such people the risk of developing schizophrenia is high.
Dopamine is a neuro-transmitter that, among other things is involved in the reaction of the organism in various pleasurable sensations – from chocolate to cocaine.
People who have schizophrenia or are very creative and unconventional, have lower levels of specific receptors in the brain that respond to domapin.
They are known as D2 receptors and are present in the thalamus. It serves as a center for filtering information. A small amount of D2 receptors in the thalamus means less filtration rate and a larger volume of information coming from the thalamus.
Scientists say maybe this is the explanation of the unconventional approach of some creative people and the strange associations that make mentally ill patients.
