ABSTRACT
In addition to psychoanalysis, I shall refer in this chapter to anthropology, poetry, and art to give indications of how creative thought might emerge, and how it can be destroyed, not least by psychosis. † As psychosis is inherent in all of us, in the sense that we all experience anxieties of a psychotic nature (Jackson & Williams, 1994; Williams, 1998), I shall not confine myself to a psychiatric diagnosis of psychosis. The aim of this article is to stimulate thinking rather than seek out answers. The reader is implicated in this paper more than usual: As you follow the words and images on these pages, it is hoped that something of the experience of how creative thought arises may become apparent.
