Plato once noted that “creativity is a divine madness, a gift from gods." Romantic notions of the link between mental illness and creativity still appear prominently in popular culture...
Mindfulness meditation can help alleviate depression and possibly anxiety
As many as 20 percent of war veterans return from combat in Afghanistan and Iraq with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or major depression, according to a 2008 report from the RAND Corporation...
A baby's brain prioritizes learning over forming lasting memories
Psychedelic drugs are poised to be the next major breakthrough in mental health care
The way kids learn causes them to generate more false memories than adults
Evidence for a surprisingly simple therapy
Books and recommendations from Scientific American MIND
Discrimination and stigma are concerns, but coming out can be a boon to your career—if the conditions are right
New clues to fibromyalgia's origins could crack the case of chronic pain
With reading difficulties can come other cognitive strengths
Children who experience neglect, abuse and/or poverty can have smaller amygdalas and hippocampuses, brain regions involved in emotion and memory, compared with kids raised in nurturing environments...
I threw down a bit of a challenge last month at the Association of Medical Illustrators Conference in Minnesota. But first, I had to—somewhat unexpectedly—accept some challenges presented by others...
The death of actor Robin Williams has raised questions about creativity, bipolar disorder and possible new treatments against profound despair
Of course, the media is writing a lot today about the link between mental illness and creativity in light of Robin Williams' suicide. Here's the thing: Williams' comedic genius was a result of many factors, including his compassion, playfulness, divergent thinking, imagination, intelligence, affective repertoire, and unique life experiences...
Mild electrical stimulation might help brain-damaged patients communicate
When I was kid, I remember my dad scolding my brother and me when one of us decided to hold the other one upside-down. In that position, he reasoned, we could fall on our head.
Creative people are better at rationalizing small ethical lapses that can spiral out of control
The neurons and blood vessels in your brain are usually tightly synchronized—but not always. Here's what can go wrong and how we can fix it
