Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 9, No. 1, 2010, Page 30
loss of ―years of life‖ that many have suffered. We can help to educate
children and youth to become what Lessing describes as ―people who think
about what is going on in the world, who try to assimilate information about
our history, about how we behave and function—people who advance
humanity as a whole.‖ (closing comment)
And in her autobiography (2002), Stein expresses the yearning for this courage and for the
freedom to pursue it: ―I am trying to fly—I am in flux—I need continual change, to flow, to
fly, using my wings, as a bird, to wave or float in the air‖ (p. 367).
End Notes
i To Daniel Gensler and Jill Pliskin I extend deep thanks for support of my creativity, personal and
professional growth, and so much that cannot be named to Michael Civin deep thanks for introducing
me to Jacques Lacan and for helping me develop my psychoanalytic thinking about the suppression of
creativity in relation to cults. I dedicate this introduction to Hana Wehle, whose dance with creativity
intoxicates still to Kurt Wehle, whose music forever plays to Susan Wehle, with whom I share a
sacred lifetime of joy and creativity to Tamar Friedner, whose creative flame burns strongly on and
to Mary Francis Collins, who inspires hope like none else.
ii My reading of Alex Stein‘s Inside Out some years ago first inspired my inquiry into cults and
creativity. Stein‘s direct and poetic discussion of her journey with creativity during her cult-involved
years is invaluable.
iii This discussion of cults and creativity in part draws upon models of creativity from neuroscience and
psychology. Since my own theoretical grounding is not in these disciplines but rather in the fields of
art and psychoanalysis, I at times rely upon secondary sources to explain how the neuroscience and
psychology models contribute to the study of cults and creativity. The same applies to the section on
critical theory.
References
Amabile, T. M. (1983). The social psychology of creativity. New York: Springer Verlag.
Beck, Aaron (2008). The evolution of the cognitive model of depression: Its neurobiological correlates.
American Journal of Psychiatry, 165, 969–977.
Belsey, C. (2002). Poststructuralism. New York: Oxford University Press.
Berenson, B. (1948). Aesthetics and history. New York: Doubleday.
Bion, W. (1950). Attacks on linking. International Journal of Psycho-Analysis, 40:308–315.
Bronson, P., and Merryman, A. (July 2010). The creativity crisis. Newsweek. Retrieved from
Newsweek.com, http://www.newsweek.com/2010/07/10/the-creativity-crisis.html
Burke, K. (1966). Language as symbolic action. Berkley: University of California Press
Charlton, B. (2000). Review of The feeling of what happens: Body, emotion and the making of
consciousness—Antonio Damasio. JRSM 2000, 93:99–101 London. Retrieved from
http://www.hedweb.com/bgcharlton/damasioreview.htmlhttp
Cohen, P. (2010). Charting creativity: Signposts of a hazy territory. The New York Times, May 7,
2010. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/08/books/08creative.html
Conway, F., and Siegelman, J. (1995/1978 1979). Snapping: America‘s epidemic of sudden
personality change. New York: Stillpoint Press.
Creativity. (n.d.) In Oxford Dictionaries online dictionary (2010). Oxford University Press. Retrieved
from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/view/entry/m_en_us1236934#m_en_us1236934
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1996). Creativity: Flow and the psychology of discovery and innovation. New
York, NY: Harper Perennial.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1993). The evolving self. New York, NY: Harper Collins.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. New York, NY: Harper
Perennial.
Damasio, A. (1994). Descartes‘ Error. New York: Penguin.
Damasio, A. (1999). The feeling of what happens: Body, emotion, and the making of consciousness.
Orlando, FL: Harcourt, Inc.
Damasio, A. (2001). Some notes on brain, imagination, and creativity. In K. H. Pfenninger &V. R.
Shubik (Eds.), The Origins of Creativity (pp. 59–68). New York: Oxford University Press.
Deri, S. K. (1984). Symbolization and creativity. New York: International Universities Press, Inc.
loss of ―years of life‖ that many have suffered. We can help to educate
children and youth to become what Lessing describes as ―people who think
about what is going on in the world, who try to assimilate information about
our history, about how we behave and function—people who advance
humanity as a whole.‖ (closing comment)
And in her autobiography (2002), Stein expresses the yearning for this courage and for the
freedom to pursue it: ―I am trying to fly—I am in flux—I need continual change, to flow, to
fly, using my wings, as a bird, to wave or float in the air‖ (p. 367).
End Notes
i To Daniel Gensler and Jill Pliskin I extend deep thanks for support of my creativity, personal and
professional growth, and so much that cannot be named to Michael Civin deep thanks for introducing
me to Jacques Lacan and for helping me develop my psychoanalytic thinking about the suppression of
creativity in relation to cults. I dedicate this introduction to Hana Wehle, whose dance with creativity
intoxicates still to Kurt Wehle, whose music forever plays to Susan Wehle, with whom I share a
sacred lifetime of joy and creativity to Tamar Friedner, whose creative flame burns strongly on and
to Mary Francis Collins, who inspires hope like none else.
ii My reading of Alex Stein‘s Inside Out some years ago first inspired my inquiry into cults and
creativity. Stein‘s direct and poetic discussion of her journey with creativity during her cult-involved
years is invaluable.
iii This discussion of cults and creativity in part draws upon models of creativity from neuroscience and
psychology. Since my own theoretical grounding is not in these disciplines but rather in the fields of
art and psychoanalysis, I at times rely upon secondary sources to explain how the neuroscience and
psychology models contribute to the study of cults and creativity. The same applies to the section on
critical theory.
References
Amabile, T. M. (1983). The social psychology of creativity. New York: Springer Verlag.
Beck, Aaron (2008). The evolution of the cognitive model of depression: Its neurobiological correlates.
American Journal of Psychiatry, 165, 969–977.
Belsey, C. (2002). Poststructuralism. New York: Oxford University Press.
Berenson, B. (1948). Aesthetics and history. New York: Doubleday.
Bion, W. (1950). Attacks on linking. International Journal of Psycho-Analysis, 40:308–315.
Bronson, P., and Merryman, A. (July 2010). The creativity crisis. Newsweek. Retrieved from
Newsweek.com, http://www.newsweek.com/2010/07/10/the-creativity-crisis.html
Burke, K. (1966). Language as symbolic action. Berkley: University of California Press
Charlton, B. (2000). Review of The feeling of what happens: Body, emotion and the making of
consciousness—Antonio Damasio. JRSM 2000, 93:99–101 London. Retrieved from
http://www.hedweb.com/bgcharlton/damasioreview.htmlhttp
Cohen, P. (2010). Charting creativity: Signposts of a hazy territory. The New York Times, May 7,
2010. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/08/books/08creative.html
Conway, F., and Siegelman, J. (1995/1978 1979). Snapping: America‘s epidemic of sudden
personality change. New York: Stillpoint Press.
Creativity. (n.d.) In Oxford Dictionaries online dictionary (2010). Oxford University Press. Retrieved
from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/view/entry/m_en_us1236934#m_en_us1236934
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1996). Creativity: Flow and the psychology of discovery and innovation. New
York, NY: Harper Perennial.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1993). The evolving self. New York, NY: Harper Collins.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. New York, NY: Harper
Perennial.
Damasio, A. (1994). Descartes‘ Error. New York: Penguin.
Damasio, A. (1999). The feeling of what happens: Body, emotion, and the making of consciousness.
Orlando, FL: Harcourt, Inc.
Damasio, A. (2001). Some notes on brain, imagination, and creativity. In K. H. Pfenninger &V. R.
Shubik (Eds.), The Origins of Creativity (pp. 59–68). New York: Oxford University Press.
Deri, S. K. (1984). Symbolization and creativity. New York: International Universities Press, Inc.
