Editorial: Do Both Psychopathology and Creativity Result from a Labile Wake-Sleep-Dream Cycle?

Frontiers in Psychology

Sue Llewellyn¹ 

关键词: psychopathology;    creativity;    state de-differentiation;    labile sleep;    creative insight;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01824

学科分类：心理学（综合）

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

We invited contributions on the following hypothesis: the boundaries between wake, sleep, and dreaming (W/S/D) can become less distinct, engendering a de-differentiated, disordered state in which wake, sleep and dreaming become interpenetrated (see Llewellyn, 2016, for a review). In other words, the state differentiation which, through differing neuromodulation and input-output gating, achieves the W/S/D cycle is disrupted. Consequently, the mind/brain assumes more of a hybrid, de-differentiated wake-sleep-dream state across the cycle. Due to the chaos dynamics of brain processes, where a small change can engender diverse results, de-differentiation can take a variety of forms. A slight to moderate degree of penetration of wake by REM sleep may result in enhanced creativity. Normal waking consciousness is a sub-critical, ordered state (Carhart-Harris et al., 2014) whereas creative states are critical. Creative insight depends on spreading neural activation to make remote associations amongst memory (including knowledge) elements (Yaniv and Meyer, 1987; Dijksterhuis and Meurs, 2006; Dijksterhuis and Nordgren, 2006; Baird et al., 2012; Ritter and Dijksterhuis, 2014). Hyperassociativity, or the ability to make remote associations, is more characteristic of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and dreaming than either wake or non-REM sleep (Stickgold et al., 1999; Walker et al., 2002; Cai et al., 2009; Sterpenich et al., 2014). Therefore, if REM sleep begins to suffuse wake, enhanced creativity would be anticipated. But moderate to severe interpenetration of W/S/D may precipitate psychopathologies- as the distinct functions of W/S/D are partially eroded. In ADHD, for example, the W/S/D cycle is de-differentiated or labile (Kirov and Brand, 2014). If our proposal is correct an association between creativity and psychopathology would be observed. Evidence for this is accumulating, see for example, Kyaga et al. (2011), Santosa et al. (2007), and Rybakowski and Klonowska (2010).

【 授权许可】

CC BY