[Creativeness and performance strengths in schizophrenic patients]

Three positions concerning empirically detectable associations between (endogenous) psychosis and creativity are discussed: One which postulates a degeneration both in psychosis and creative people, another which tends to equalize creativity and psychosis and a third one which regards creativity as positive and psychosis as an illness. The latter position is well in accord with empirical results. These results are pointing to something which creativity has in common with psychosis. This common conditioning factor is probably a distinctive cognitive style and, depending on the specific context, presents itself either in a positive way (creativity) or as psychotic disorganisation.