Hughes

"One of the greatest pains to human nature is the pain of a new idea" (Bagehot). I think that this quote encapsulates some of the dialogue in the Pearce text and the subject-matter of the course thus far. We have been reevaluating commonly held western worldviews, and studying cultural practices that seem hard for some to accept or even briefly indulge. In any event, I enjoyed the Hughes reading this week. It was interesting to see how many influential people throughout history suffered from some type of disease that either influenced or directly contributed to their legacy. Although, I'm not exactly persuaded that Sir Isaac Newton was a schizophrenic. Anyhow, I was wondering where Pearce's disorder, autism, fits into this discussion. Particularly, I was wondering how many other creatives, besides Pearce, throughout history were autistic. Pearce argues that his former disorder can facilitate the contemplation of great, new ideas, yet I think that he needs a little more corroboration to support the validity of this claim.

Hughes 9

I think it is fascinating that an illness can lead to creativity, because they both involve altered states of consciousness. However, most individuals produce his or her best work when they are depressed or have some life altering illness. People can express the ideas that are closest to themselves, but through different medias. Frida Kahlo's painting is powerful, because a viewer can visually see the pain she is enduring. Most artists have really difficult lives, which is probably why they have such amazing works.

I was surprised that some artists didn't think being blind was all that important. Yes, all of the other senses get stronger, but I would still think it is terrible. I think the most interesting quote is "The very deaf, as I am, hear the most astounding things all around them, which have not in fact, been said. This enlivens my replies until, through mishearing, a new level of communication is reached" (121) I think it would be really neat to be deaf for a day, so I could experience what deaf people experience. It is like an altered state of consciousness, because the only way to understand it is to experience it.

The quote by Edgar Allan Poe is neat, yet true. "Men have called me mad, but the question is not yet settled, whether madness is or is not the loftiest intelligence. . . "(124) Edgar Allan Poe has a lot of disturbing pieces of writing, but they are brilliant. Is he sick, or is he just so creative that people refer to him as mad? He was also an alcoholic, which would stand for an outlet if he did have psychological problems. Also, many artists seem to have their creative works when they are on the road to recovery, but why? How do we know for sure? Perhaps the individual used art as a form of therapy, and that is how they got better. I know Virginia Woolf suffered a lot of psychological problems and attempted suicide many times, until finally succeeding. However, I think her writing definitely occurs in an altered state of consciousness, because it is so full of thoughts, as if it were a dream.

I went to the harrisburg mental hospital before and I was kind of frightened to see people talking to themselves, and doing such peculiar things. Now that I think about it were they really crazy or are they just in an altered state of consciousness permanently? I think that is why doctors have such a hard time explaining diseases such as schizophrenia, because an individual has to experience it for themselves.

I find epileptic experiences rather unbelievable, I cannot imagine a joy that is unthinkable. Perhaps many religious figures were simply epileptics. Overall, it appears that all creativity can be linked to drugs and diseases, and vice versa.

Hughes Ch 9

I find it interesting that most artists use their art as an away to escape the monotony of daily life. Henri Matisse was one of those people who put this feeling of relief into words, “When I started to paint, I felt transported into a kind of paradise… in everyday life I was usually bored or vexed by the things people were always telling me I must do. Starting to paint I felt gloriously free, quiet, and alone.” Whether it is an escape from the pain of a disease, a career, or family disasters like van Gough, this is their way to express themselves. It is just a bonus to them to get paid for it. Thomas Jefferson even said once, “the art of life is the art of avoiding pain.”

It really is amazing finding out just how many creative geniuses had a problem. Their problems are the reason why they wrote certain things and this helped them to achieve celebrity. Virginia Woolf, who stood for so many things, would not have experimented with half of the ways she wrote had it not been for her mental illness. She would not have been able to become of the founders of modern literature. It sheds a whole new light on what their achievements really meant and what they overcame to achieve them. These people who overcame all of their problems would not have become famous had they not had problems to overcome.

Creativity and Disease

***As always, with Hughes, I enjoyed the readings***

-It is extremely interesting that people with serious illnessess are prone to picking up the arts. I think it has something to do with the fact that the person feels thier life may end, so they let thier creativity shine while they still can.

-Also..the mention of Michel Foucault's Madness and Civilization, originally, Folie et déraison. Histoire de la folie à l'âge classique (I had to research him for a New Historicist project in my English class) was interesting, because Foucault actually died of AIDS related illness.

-I remember seeing Saturn Devouring One of His Children in my art history class...I looked at my notes, and it said this painting was depicting Saturn hearing that the only way he could die is if one of his sons killed him. He didn't want that, so he was paranoid and ends up eating his child to avoid the outcome...pretty weird stuff..very in depth...but a result of lead paint.

-Sensory deprivation is facinationg. Once you lose one of your senses, your other senses kick into high gear...this explains why blind muscians have an "ear" for music.

-When reading the section about TB and AIDS, i thought it was interesting that Hughes states, "TB was a wholesale killer for many generations(and is likely to become so again)" I THINK he means in overpopulated countries without enough medical care....or maybe he thinks we will have an outbreak of it again...am i wrong?

-Being that those with hypomania can function well on little sleep with little concentration, i wonder if people who are super stressed out become manic depressant...if(in a small or large way) they are mutually exclusive somehow.

-I have had migraines and I am not aware of having hallucinations and trancelike states before one...i will have to pay attention(though i hope to never have one again)

-Finally we come to alcohol..a staple of college students and businessmen alike...it is sad to know that it is so easy to get...we all know that in excess, it causes a lot of damage...I did not know that so many factors went into alcoholism...psychological, physiological, social, and genetic. Social..yes...psychological...yes I wasn't aware that people could be genetically predisposed to becoming an alcoholic....interesting stuff

Hughes Ch. 9

Surprisingly enough i thought this chapter was very interesting, i had no idea "pysical illness may initiate, or at least accelerate, the creative pursuit of his or her vocation"(117). I do have to say when i have been drinking it is much easier to be creative in the sence my mind doesnt try to gold me back. The fact of the matter is when a person is not under the influence it is much harder to be creative because the person second guesses themselves. When under the influence or in this case are sick or have a disease the mind is not "normal" and it is much easier to be creative.ANother aspect i liked about Hughes article is the section titled Through the Pain Gate I cant see how people can get through the pain gate without the help of drugs, I know I could not go a day without my pain medication for my back. Apparently it makes people more creative, to channel the pain into something useful. The section on Cancer, AIDS, and TB perplexes me still today i dont understand how people can have these diseases and remain so positive. It seems like these people are very selfless in that all they want to do is help other people by spreading the word of how to protect themselves from these horrible diseases. As you may or may not know my wife just beat brain cancer and Lyme disease, the reason I bring this up is the whole way through the sickness she was so positive while i was an absolute wreck. To summarise this chapter the main idea Hughes is getting at is the people that seem to be "disabled" in one way or another are in the best posistion to be the most creative because they view life in a much different way than a person that is healthy and completly functional.

Walsh 5 Hughes 6

Hughes 6
Endless love.....? I do agree with the term. Some people develope fixations over things they care about. A person could get wrapped up in his or her's favorites. A persons profession could often be used in the term ENDLESS LOVE. When it comes to a person's job, they will go to no ends to satisfy the neccessary needs. This could lead to someone stressing themself out. This is where creativity could help. I know personally, i need to take breaks sometimes. When i can just sit down and listen to music, it feels like all my issues go away. I think while i am listening to this music, i can safely say im entering another state of consciousness.

Walsh 5
Shamans! Are they good or bad. In the chapter, it says that Shamans went from being seen as negative peope, then to people who can cure, to finally being idealists. I didnt know i pictured them. From the video to these readings, my feelings towards the Shamans changed. I still really dont understand the whole Shaman culture. They can heal each other without the use of medicine.......come on now. That sounds like some vodoo nonsense. I know their curing is spiritual but it will take me a while to fully believe this. I dont think anyone will ever be able to understand this whole Shaman culture. The way they did things is unparralel and everything is based on spirituality. Someone who can solve this perhaps can explain the whole theory to me! Overall.....good read!

Run Away Imagination and Shamanic Healing

I remember, quite long ago, in a class (though which I do not know, save that it was 7th grade or higher. I think it was Health), there was a chapter pertaining to various mental disorders, among them mentioned Schizophrenia. It was then that four pictures were shown, each painted by an artist slowly slipping into a state of schizophrenia. The first was of a cat; the picture itself was quite cute and very normal. In the second, the cat had taken on a somewhat human expression of deviousness. The third showed the cat as quite demonic. The fourth and final painting was near-unrecognizable, save that the faint outline of a demonic cat, which was more resembling that of a spectral, terrifying caracal than a cute house cat. While reading the Hughes chapter, I was reminded of these pictures (if anyone has seen the textbook with these pictures, or the pictures themselves, please let me know!). Indeed, creativity can and does come to us during our times of deep sickness. Perhaps it is due to the lack of connection that results from sickness, and the loss of ties with standard conventions and perceptions of reality. While it is indeed a shame that there are those that suffer from such ailments, they are, in their own way, a blessing in disguise. At least, for those that are able to express their creative work.

The Walsh reading, for me, was more of a review of standard Shamanic practices, as well as some of the criticisms. I am already quite willing to accept Shamanism as a practice that is not to be demonized, but this chapter was for those who still doubt the power of these ASOCs, defending that Shamans may not always be successful, but neither are today's established doctors.

Blog number nine

Hughes, Chapter 9: Creativity and Disease

Illness, pain, TB, cancer, AIDS, mind sickness, psychotic art, manic depression, anatomy of melancholy, schizophrenia, depression, epilepsy, and alcoholism. This made for a pretty depression yet interesting chapter. Diseases are a bummer for the most part, but I understand how they produce ASCs and how that could increase, or affect creativity.

The history behind the painting “The Shattered Column” is moving. I can only imagine how uncomfortable and painful damage to the spine is. Frida Kahlo had congenital spinal bifida condition and on top of that got into a road accident and was seriously injured. After many operations and her previous spine problems, her pain was immense. The picture she painted depicts her pain. It’s a gorgeous yet sad picture to look at.

Mind sickness is always fun to read about. Creativity and being psychotic… apparently there’s a fine line between the two. Creative processes may turn to psychotic ones. Hmm.
Crazy art folk, it seems like many artists and creative folk are a little out there… Sometimes in a good way and sometimes bad.

The “psychotic art” and “degenerate art” is pretty neat. In that type of art, the pictures are like a window into the mind of someone who doesn’t see life in the typical sense. It’s a different perception, and generally, you could stare at the pictures always notice something new, or even feel what they were feeling at the time of painting the picture. Indeed.

I respect Virginia Woolf’s ability and willingness to feel what she was feeling while her husband was in the hospital. Experience the emotions and document them. Her passage on page 129 oozed with melancholy and despair. Though, her ability for description is beautiful, fluid, and well articulated.

It’s funny how many famous authors are alcoholics. Makes me raise questions… How different would their work be if they had not indulged in alcoholic beverages? I’m thinking being inebriated is way more common than we think.

No pain, no gain?

Hughes relates the conditions of illness and disease and their effects on the body and mind with the abilities that creatives achieve. Many of the artists listed in the chapter had to struggle with their pains of illness, disease, or injury by means of a creative outlet. Hughes mentions many similarities between enduring pain and creative onset. The most obvious comparison which I related to was that of isolation. "Marcel Proust took refuge in illness in order to procure the seclusion necessary to achieve his vast enterprise" (118). Many times when I am sick, specifically when coping with migraines, I also need to be in a state of isolation where no outside sources; noises, light, etc; can disturb me. Likewise, when I am painting, drawing, scrapbooking, etc. I have to be in "my zone" - a quiet, undisruptive state in order to apply internal creative thoughts into the external.

Hughes mentions that "inner conflict is often seen as the cause of creativity itself" (119). In this respect, creativity is almost like a self-serving coping mechanism. It becomes a form of therapy in order to express, heal, and hopefully thrive. Many creatives mentioned in this chapter did not seek out such creative talents until they were stricken with some illness or injury.

I also related to the quote from Dr. Philip Sandblom, "the slight fever livened the associations and filled the thoughts with fantastic, dreamlike pictures..." (122). The few times my oldest son has struck fevers, he got very delusional and often mumbled or talked in illogical, irrational ways. I don't recall doing this verbally, but can remember feelings of dislocation when suffering with migraines. Hughes also mentions the presence of auras in regards to migraines. I cannot recall having this experience with a migraine, but I do experience this when I faint, which unfortunately happens frequently. I can usually feel a "spell" coming on because my hearing and sight becomes hindered...almost like tunnel vision for both senses. I get cold, clammy, and sweaty, and I can recall right before passing out that I experience what I now know to be entoptic images. I've always described this as like the snowy appearance on an old tv screen when a channel doesn't come in. Upon coming to, I remember having such vivid dreams seeming to have lasted for hours, only to find that I was "out" for a few moments. The symptoms sometimes resemble those sensory hallucinations that occur prior to epileptic seizures. It makes me wonder what creative potential awaits for me in this state...if I could only stay "out of it" long enough to tap into.

Hughes (Chapter 9)

In Chapter 9, Hughes points to the connection between physical illness and creativity. Both involve "altered states of consciousness, arising on the one hand from bodily changes and on the other from imaginative affects."

The connection is clear to me. I can definitely attest to the power of sensory deprivation. It is a powerful tool. You'd be surprised how good a fighter can get if he (or she) fights with a blindfold on for a few months, while the opponent has access to all his senses. After the students other senses have been enhanced, sight can be returned. WALAH, you have a well-rounded fighter.

To take it a step further... can physical blindness facilitate the development of subliminal senses? I don't know. Hughes mentioned Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder, but I also liked the story about Tiresias, the Tibetan seer, he was blinded and became a prophet.

Before reading this chapter, I can't recall anyone describing hearing as a specialized sense of touch, but I guess we do hear and feel sounds. In the end, we are just picking up vibrations in the air. It's definitely a different way of thinking about things.

Hughes Chapter 9

Hughes states that, "physical illness may initiate, or at least accelerate, the creative pursuit of his or her vocation." I believe that to be true because if you look at Vincent Vang Gogh's art work you see how in his mind his visions are tranformened from his thoughts onto his work. He suffered from bodily illness that resulted in his different style of work. I really enjoyed the painting of "Shattered Column" by Frida Kahlo, because the way she felt in her illness state is the way she painted it to reflect the pain and how the pain feels. Maybe more artist should try to do that. To have a loss of sensory deprivation is difficult for one to live or makes it much harder. For instance Helen Keller was not only blind but deaf, and she had to learn by feelings and people showing her how to make signs with her hands to communicate. For some artists such as Edgar Allen Poe, we today may not be able to come up with mysterious yet abnormal forms of art without the ring leader himself. People now adays are allowed to go into other worlds to create different movies of oddness and may not even need to use drugs to find their visualizations. Each artist whether they be a psychotic, manic depressant, schizo, or epileptic, may experience different forms of creativity due to there disease. On the last page is dedicated to Alcoholism, alcohol is I guess consumed as a drug, anyone above the age of 21 can consume it , and its legal. But I don't necessarily believe that being "drunk" can influence you to become artistic. When your drunk your just out there and don't really remember anything let alone anyone.

I think this was probably the most interesting reading we've had so far. I think part of that was because there was almost no mention of drugs. How refreshing! It was so very interesting to consider the part that illness can play in creativity. The majority of the artists that Hughes cited were household names and he listed so many with each example.

Hughes starts off by stating that, "Creativity appears to encompass the concepts both of disease and of cure." (p.117) Some artists are driven to their art because of their disease because they have no other way to constructively deal with it. They find ways to express the pain the experience, using poetry, painting, composing, etc., as an outlet. Others create during periods of altered states resulting from fevers, delerium, etc, all of which heighten creativity. (p.118)

I am nowhere close to being what most people would call creative. I don't paint, draw, write poetry, play an instrument..........nothing. For some time, I experienced depression myself. Medication wasn't really helping, nor was therapy. When I was at my worst, I felt that if I just had some sort of creative outlet, it would help. I felt that there was so much "stuff" built up inside of me that had to come out, and it wanted to come out in some sort of creative way. I tried to write, but it just didn't work. Obviously, I found ways to deal with it, and brought myself out of it, but I can sympathize with artists in the same boat. Hughes states that "inner conflict is often seen as the cause of creativity itself." (p.119) I have to disagree. I don't think that creativity is born out of illness, but if the creative "seed" is there, the artist can develop it and use it to deal with the illness. Just because someone can express themselves through painting or writing, though, doesn't mean that they will be able to conquer the illness. I think that it just helps them to deal with it, and to fend off the demons, at least a little bit longer.

I find another point that Hughes makes to be really interesting. He says, "The idea that certain illnesses confer creativity has been reversed in recent times to suggest that creativity confers the illness. The comparatively recent discovery of the link between emotional states and the immune system.....provides this problematic proposal with scientific backing." (p.122) People who are depressed or otherwise less emotionally well, are often more sickly than the psychologically healthy. It's something I think that we all notice, and to know that there is a scientific link is reassuring. Again, when I was suffering from depression, I didn't always feel physically well either. When people are emotionally un-well, I think they tend to neglect their diet and personal care, which makes them more vulnerable to illness.

I wonder about some of this. If a person is ill and the illness causes them to be creative, to the point of achieving success, would such a person necessarily WANT to get well? I certainly hope so, but I wonder if some get caught up in the creativity (their method of coping), to the point that they lose sight of what it really means to be well, and give up on the idea of going back to that state.

Is anyone really normal?

Reading the text regarding creativity and disease, I paused in wonderment at the power that is within us. The senses that we are equipped with are truly amazing! In those moments of quite pause, I have asked myself what sense would I be able to live without… I know maybe I am abnormal! So, I was very intrigued to read the accounts from individuals who lost or were born without a particular sense. James Joyce said that becoming blind was “the least important event in his life.” For me this was a humbling statement as so often we bitch and complain about every little thing taking for granted the gifts we have in our senses. OK I am stepping off my soap box…

I mentioned my friends Mom in an earlier blog and I thought of her again as I read the sections on depression and mental illness. It is concerning that we as a society are accepting of other diseases yet those we cannot understand we categorize them as being mad. Your head can get sick the same way your heart does… The text mentions the notion that individuals who don’t fit in are categorized as strange. In the reading it describes the introduction of lithium… Mrs. K is prescribed lithium and she sits in a chair and stares like a zombie… She is a brilliant woman who has an advanced degree. Yet she is unable to cope with the day to day. So this chapter hit home for me and further opens my thinking about the power of the mind.

I have migraines from time to time – they are the worst! So as I read the notion of an aura surrounding these headaches it became much clearer for me what I have experienced. Now I will say that I don’t have euphoric feelings as the book describes, but I do become hyper sensitive to smells – it is the wildest thing!

I think that we are all eccentric in varying degrees... The degrees are determined by society - and who's to say that the accepted standard of normalcy is correct?

He's a maniac, maniac!!!

In reading Hughes, I found the intelligences interesting, you’ll all be happy to know I have self qualified myself for 6 out of the 8. If you need any help with math or sports, ask Gunnar. I do find though the idea of teachers “personalizing instruction and assessment, to discover what is special about each child,” a little disturbing. Children may excel in certain areas, but they are constantly evolving and absorbing throughout their growth. To limit a child to a field of study that they may have initially excelled in, while leaving out the broad spectrum of curriculum is like moving the “choice of major” to elementary school.


I like that Hughes explored the idea of creativity as therapy and how some works are produced not from drive to create, but the desire to expel. It seems poetic and quite sad that these great masterpieces are to the artist, modes of torment. There is something to be said though for conveying anything coherent to the outside world. As Hughes states “irrational messages lose content when translated into words, and often become unacceptable.” I think this ties into the idea that when interpreting an altered state, there must be a great deal of reason and logic to balance the experiences off of.


In relating to the Walsh readings, I like the idea of a shaman as a “healed madman.” The goals of a shaman are to brace the unknown, understand it, and help guide others through it. Therefore, it seems plausible that they would have somehow mastered mental illness in a way that they can feel the effects but control the reactions.

The Creativity Personality

A found Hughes chapter on Creativity Personality to be very interesting. "Personality emerges form the interaction of heredity and environment, nature and nurture." (77) When i started to read about the seven types of intelligences the first thing i thought was " which one do i belong to". So i thought and said, "I think I belong to the interpersonal intelligence types because I have "the ability to understand and be responsive to others' desires, temperaments, and moods." (77) (But then again most of us are.) The section on Nature and Nurture regarding cultures and families growing up with music as a second language. To this is true because as a child my parents were always musically inclined. My dad played the guitar and sang and my mother love to listen to music and dance. She would have music on from the time she woke up to the time she went to sleep. She cooked and cleaned to it and danced with the brook stick. I know very old songs from their time that I still listen to and always enjoyed music and the arts because my parents raised me in this environment. The one thing that I never felt was obligated to follow in my parents steps. They always allowed me to be what I wanted to be.

I also found very interesting how many artists can not hold a physical relationship with a significant other. "Some artists are extremely isolated, but the satisfaction of exercising their gifts, of hearing their own voice, and of reaching others through work, outweighs the promise of alternative pleasures." (83) These artists find the passion in their work and are "in love" with what they do so this outweighs the physical pleasures.

In Walsh's reading we see again the shamanic behaviors and their journey to (ASC). These behaviors need to be addressed because they were often interpreted as pathological. I think personally that anything that is different to our norm is interpreted as something psychological. To the Westerners these sort of shamanic behaviors were out of this world and thus for interpreted as madness. "The risks of misunderstanding other cultures become particularly dangerous when altered states are involved." (Walsh 91) It is said in the reading that Westerners recognized a limited range of "normal" states : walking., dreaming and non- dreaming sleep. Anything out of this limited range is considered pathological. "For many years even of exceptional joy or compassion were often pathological. Mystical experiences, for example, were interpreted as neurotic regressions, ecstatic states viewed as narcissism, and enlightenment dismissed as regression to intrauterine stages. " (Walsh 91)

Many anthropologists tried to observe these so called "fits" that shaman where experiencing but many of then weren't medically trained to get an accurate diagnoses. So they thought these fits could be some type of epilepsy but it was very vague to determine so. Further more, like Walsh said, " To simply dismiss it as "hysteria" or dissociation would be an unfortunate error that would prevent us from exploring an unusual capacity of mind." (96)

creative personality and shamans

I have to admit Hughes was a pretty interesting read, for one i had no idea the seven types of intellegence theory even existed. To me Gardner is saying people are born creative but which intellegence shows greater gain is what the person will persue. Gardner gives examples such as Gandhi, Graham, and Mozart. I wouldnt put these people in a class of seperate intellegece, I believe gifted is the word I am looking for. People always be little Mozart's father for pushing his son. Well I am going to be different and applaud his father, why shouldnt we be pushed to the brink as children? Parents just want whats best for us, also as children how will we ever realise our full potential if our parents are not behind us giving us a little nudge every now and then. My father gace me a nundge for three years to play baseball at first i hated it, after three years i began to adore baseball and that has been my lifes passion ever since.

If I had as much dedication to baseball as an artists does to his art i would probably be dead. I never realised how genetics along with hard work it took to be an artists. By the way when i heard the story about Van Gough killing himself because his brother was going to die of a disease, has changed y out look on him as a great painter to a coward. Any body that comitts suicide for any reason is a coward and cannot face their fears. As far as Shamans go, i am sorry but give it up. I am so sick of hearing about these people healing people, they are nothing but people that go get high and feel like they can travel from world to world. I dont care what these people do on their own time, but to see Shamans in basically every weeks reading is really starting to irritate me. By the way whoever said the Western world has a conditioned closedmindeness can pack their bags and just get out. Anybody in this class that defends Shamans can pack their bags and get out. Because you know what when you get sick who do you go to? Not a Shaman a good old Medical Doctor, so if you people belive in Shamans so much and want me to stop ripping them for their mental problems then go to one when you get sick and see how long it take you to figure out their idiots.

Art

I do not consider myself as an artist in any way. When reading Hughes that was even more apparent. There are certain things that he mentioned that were described by artists themselves. Being completely consumed by your work doesn’t always sound fun. These artists needed it. Their work is their drug that keeps them going. I knew that van Gough wasn’t exactly sane but I never knew that he killed himself because his brother was going to die from a disease. I also never knew that it was his brother who told him to start painting so that he could cope with life and try to cure his depression. It seems that a lot of artists used their art as an escape that helped the majority of them.

Musicians were the celebrities back then. Their parents, like some parents today, pushed their children to the point of almost insanity. They were obsessed with perfection. Bach and Mozart are the examples that Hughes uses to make this point. When I was in middle school there was a kid who played violin. He was a very, very good violinist. He did it because he wanted to please his father. I, personally, don’t think that this is a good reason to do it. You should do something because you want to do it, not to please someone else.

Why is it that Shaman were diagnosed with such things like schizophrenia, epilepsy, and “hysteria”? The Shaman have always held a very respectful spot in their tribes. Were certain Shaman diagnosed with these to discredit them or to make them lose their high spot? There are some things that that Westerners don’t understand. Are we just trying to fit them into our vision of what life is supposed to be? Since they are different and doctors can really explain what is going on with Shaman they are just trying to fit them into their views of what people should be like and the medical problems they think could cause Shaman to think that they have power.

Walsh and Hughes

Hughes:
talents and intelligence are different from each other as I suppose is widely known. Intelligence transfers to talents in some ways. I liked how the author outlines the different types of intelligience. This shows that out of all the list of intelligence everybody falls in one or more category. As for the mathematical intelligence I possess a little bit of it but don't quite understand why I am so terrible at math.

Walsh:
These shamans to me are somewhat misunderstood in the western world because of our conditioned closemindedness. To us the altered states that thesharmans go into we would perceive it as people who are mentally deranged.We will equate their rituals as been devilish and diabolical in religious nature and in our eyes. Then we will have some supposedely mental or psychology expert diagnose their mental state. We need more to be openminded to understand others way of living and their philosophies.

Hughes - he = Hugs

Tricksters

I had been warned, but I passed the stories off as an urban legend. But sure enough, a few years ago, I was walking through the back streets of some tourist trap. I was trying to find the address of a friend who was doing missionary work in some run down slum of the city. My jet lag made my body feel as if each word I spoke drew blood from my veins. I had just received a new set of directions from some bearded man who was chewing on a pipe. The man had led me down this narrow street filled with fruit stands and T-shirt vendors. I carried rolling luggage that tipped sideways whenever I pulled it up over a curb. I had just crossed a street, and was shaking my luggage back on path when a woman let out a scream and threw her infant child in the air. I abandoned my luggage and ran to catch the child like a football. Once the child (a girl) was safe in my arms, I turned to see that not only had the screaming lady disappeared, but so had my luggage. Now I have this kid. In fact, we just celebrated her second birthday at my mother's house. She got a lot of new clothes. I bought her some coloring books and some playdough...

At first, I thought Walsh's chapters would be devoted to Western culture's lack of understanding, and therefore ostracizing of shamanism. I mean, duh, we're bigger and stronger. Why don't we give these cavemen and women some clothes and an iPod?

I don't know. I find all of this debate over shamanism a bit annoying. We can't except new ideas, so we take the founders of some -ism and put them on a pedestal. "Hi unfamiliar culture that uses natural drugs to reach altered states of consciousness. If you're so great, heal this paper cut, right now. Did you see that guys? He can't do it. I knew it. What a jerk."

What I gather from the reading is that some shamanistic cultures might have epileptic leaders. WHAT?! You mean to tell me that, one, there are other cultures, and two, that some people of these other cultures suffer from epilepsy? I don't believe it.

And tricksters? You're telling me that it's just not my culture that's filled with corruption? Ha.

Actually, the tricksters idea reminds me of Man on the Moon. Now, I haven't seen that movie in a long time, but I think I remember the end where Andy Kauffman visits some sort of healer in order to have the cancer pulled out of his body. However, Kauffman mistakenly sees the healer soak a sponge in a red liquid, and hide it in his hand. He then squeezes the sponge onto Kauffman's stomach, giving the illusion that he was digging out something from the skin. Jeez, that's a really sad part of the movie.

But seriously, shamans. It's the drug thing. Sorry. You'll have to fight a battle with other societies that I'm sure you care very little about fighting. Stop doing drugs, and suck on a fruit smoothie or something. Perhaps, if you drink the beverage fast enough, the temperature will give you a brain freeze, and you can have your little personal journies in a numb state. Meanwhile, I, along with the rest of my perfect drug-free peers, won't feel so threatened by a culture that never tried to threaten us in the first place.

The creative personality.

Some people devote portions of their lives slobbering over creative people. What's the difference between the creative and the slobbering fan who wants to be their friend? The fan needs constant attention and stimulation from other people while the creative can lock themselves in a room for hours and hours, ripping tiny pieces of their soul off their chest and pasting the soul to some sort of medium.

No one way of living is better than the other. However, a creative personality can be viewed as a self-centered personality. I think this may be where a lot of creative people run into problems with mental illness. It's when one is not creating and instead devoting time to the myth of how one should be living, that these problems occur. The myth is predictable. Perhaps the artist becomes bored, and boredom erodes the brain until it's time to visit the doctor or leave the world for good. And that's not to say that creativity is the cure all end all to one's problems.

I find the poster regarding mental-illness in the lobby of Olmstead a little interesting. All those pictures of famous creative people tell me it's okay to have a mental illness. Is it implying that I am just as talented as these individuals. When I said the poster was a little interesting, I mean interesting in the sense of... what's the word I'm looking for...? Oh yeah, offensive.

But I need to stop writing this blog, and visit the hospital where my analysis paper lies on life support. Plus, I've got to wake up my daughter from her nap. She has a play date with the children next door. The neighbors' kids are brats.

Pull yourself together – it's paper!

I asked my Mom and Dad “Are people born creative?” Both immediately responded yes! So I began to toss out examples of where their “yes” was replaced with a maybe. The maybe phase is where I left creativity as well. I agreed with the idea that creative production is limited without a favorable nurturing environment. Dedication is key - dedication as much as talent underlies the creative performance (Hughes 80). Renoir encapsulates dedication. I was shocked to read that the strapped paintbrushes to his crippled hands in order to keep painting. . . I must be a blessing and a curse to love something some much.

Believe me; I am not super artistic or even highly creative, in my estimation. But I like to dabble with creative projects and sometimes my efforts are for therapy and other times to focus on an activity that brings satisfaction.

I experienced a not so therapeutic experience while at a scrapbook class; I thought it would be fun...
We were asked to select paper for the project, sounds simple enough… As I stood at the wall of paper, I felt my pulse quicken, my brow was damp, and a hive surfaced on my hand. Staring at the wall I began to berate myself. “Jody, my God pull your self together – it's paper!!” I thought I was going mad!! As I reflect back on that experience, I was forcing myself to be creative and was not devoted to the subject.

Trick or Treat

For time and eternity all faiths have gone through trials and tribulations… If you stop for a moment I’m sure you can generate a list of labels for individuals who participate in a particular religion (Jesus Freaks, Holy Rollers, Weirdo’s, etc.) and the Shaman is no different. Does being labeled something make it so?

I find the insight that the text offered into the mind, spirit, and health of the Shaman to be very helpful. The Mother of a dear friend of mine has been diagnosed with Psychosis and Schizophrenia. After reflecting on the reading you have to wonder if a person with varying forms of mental illness is functioning in an altered state. Maybe through no effort of their own they are continually tapped into another state of consciousness…

Trickery or not there is something to a Shaman and their ability; even if that is the ability to use the power of persuasion. I cannot discount another persons experience – their will ALWAYS be someone who is looking to deceive.

Matthew 10:26 "So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body. . .