Having grown up fortunate to be around highly creative artists, writers, researchers and academicians thanks to the coterie of people that Eileen Garrett kept close to her I have always been fascinated by what seems to be the similarity of that creative or psychic “spark” that produces and manifests an effect.
In 1969 the PF sponsored at its then European headquarters in St. Paul de Vence, France our 18th annual international conference “Psi Factors in Creativity”. Representatives from various disciplines such as poetry, music, education, science, philosophy, literature, painting, psychology banded together to discuss aspects of creativity which cannot be explained in the conventional manner that may well fit into the supernormal, which therefore seems to be a rich field for investigation. I urge you to delve into that conference proceedings still available at Psi-Mart. Until then taken from our Newsletter of the Parapsychology Foundation Volume 16 , No. 4 July- August 1969 I have pulled a few brief paper summaries and commentary in hopes to feed your further creativity in contemplating how perhaps creativity and psi works.
Music: “Sometimes you feel as though the music that is coming out is happening to you. You are not making it; it is making you.” So said George Rochberg composer and Professor of Music at the University of Pennsylvania, in his paper entitled A Raid on the Infinite. In penetrating the infinite he added that strange and remarkable things happen when one is composing…He described his inner experiences when composing two of his later works. “….the sensation I experienced when composing these works seemed totally new…there was no effort attached to composing. Just the physical effort of putting signs and symbols down on paper. Otherwise I felt only a quiet joy in the presence of what was emerging.”
Painting: Speaking to the creative act of painting Patricia Mangione in her paper Some Observations on the Experience of Painting stated that when an artist is asked where he gets his inspiration he is likely to say that it is a mystery. And so it seems to him. The inspiration and imagination that appear in the work are distinct from the intellect, from reason, so that the work seems to be beyond mind and matter. More creative people claim that their best work was not really of their own doing but seemed to come from an area beyond the control of the conscious mind. The artist does not depend on his skill and dexterity alone.” She pointed out that some of her inspiration seems to come in that altered state of consciousness between sleeping and waking. In addition, the mysterious world of actual dreams becomes accessible to the artist when he is painting. Mrs. Mangione concluded, “It can thus be said that the significance of paintings, the real essences of them, is perception into the essential life of feeling and consciousness itself. As such they are, in themselves, images of extrasensory perception.”
Writing: Speaking to the creativity of words, Dr. Kenneth Burke, the American critic, poet and novelist in his paper No Word is an Island” pointed out that the author becomes the medium of the terms rather than the other way around. Their implications can turn out to be quite different from what one expects. …”Creativity is not to be viewed simply as a ‘good’ aptitude. By endowing an animal with the powers of symbolic action, ‘the Creator’ set up conditions whereby the Universe could comment on itself. But within that internality there is in turn internality insofar as it works well, we could call it ‘inspiration.’ Insofar as it works badly, we could call it ‘possession.’ But be it one or the other, I submit that the call to ‘creativity’ resides in this sheerly ‘mediumistic’ temptation, the urge by symbol-systems to dissolve completely into what Santayana would have called the ‘realm of Spirit.’”
My grandmother, Eileen J. Garrett in her introduction following greeting the participants and expressing her pleasure and gratitude at seeing them assembled, somewhat characteristically, said: “We are not going to talk about parapsychology because very few people know what it is; so I am delighted to find all of you here ready to reflect upon your experience with the creative effort contained in all life.”
Often people ask me why I study parapsychology. My response is that it touches on so much of the human condition apart from an understanding of the phenomena it scrutinizes. For me, parapsychology’s value apart from understanding purported phenomena is more importantly for gaining a clearer understanding of ourselves.
For those interested in spirit art, check out our recently uploaded classic perspective lecture. Don’t forget to subscribe !