# Low Latent Inhibition



## RubyTuesday

-What do you think?

Check out the following articles, and do a google search for "Low Latent Inhibition" (if you are interested).

The first article on L.L.I I took from Wikipedia (which is worth looking up as I haven't included the extra information on the wikipedia page).

The second article I took from: 
http://www.newsandevents.utoronto.ca/bin5/030930b.asp

From Wikipedia...



> *Latent inhibition*
> 
> Latent inhibition is a process by which exposure to a stimulus, of little or no consequence, prevents conditioned associations with that stimulus being formed. The ability to disregard or even inhibit formation of memory, by preventing associative learning of observed stimuli, is an automatic response and is thought to prevent information overload. Latent inhibition is observed in many species, and is believed to be an integral part of the observation/learning process, to allow the 'self' to interact successfully in a social environment.
> 
> Contrary to certain popular culture descriptions, low latent inhibition is not a mental disorder but an observed personality trait, and a description of how an individual absorbs and assimilates information or stimuli. It may or may not lead to mental disorder or creative genius - this is, like many other factors of life, a case of environment (positive stimuli e.g. education or negative e.g. abuse) and an individual's predisposition (genetics - family history of mental illness).
> 
> *[edit] Low latent inhibition*
> Most people are able to shut out the constant stream of incoming stimuli, but those with low latent inhibition cannot. It is hypothesized that a low level of latent inhibition, or LLI, can cause either psychosis or a high level of creativity[1] or both, which is usually dependent on the subject's intelligence.[2][3] Those of above average intelligence are thought to be capable of processing this stream effectively, an ability that greatly aids their creativity and ability to learn and which categorizes them as almost creative geniuses. Those with less than average intelligence, on the other hand, are less able to cope, and so as a result are more likely to suffer from mental illness.[4] Still very many individuals, who have a high level of intelligence and L.L.I., suffer from mental differences.
> 
> High levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine (or its agonists) in the brain are thought to lower latent inhibition.[5] Certain dysfunctions of the neurotransmitter glutamate have also been implicated [6], and the glutamate hypothesis of schizophrenia is increasingly being seen as an alternative to the dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia.
> In recent years Low Latent Inhibition is being looked at as less of a mental disorder, in the past it was often confused with schizophrenia, ADD, Bi-Polar disorder, and even Depression. In which almost all cases of this misdiagnoses have been known to lead to over medicated individuals, with L.L.I.. In some cases these individuals have had adverse reactions to the intended medicines. L.L.I. is still mainly a mystery as to how it fully affects the individual, also because of its rareness.


The following was taken from

http://www.newsandevents.utoronto.ca/bin5/030930b.asp



> *Biological basis for creativity linked to mental illness
> Creative people more open to stimuli from environment
> 
> by Jessica Whiteside *
> Sept. 30, 2003 -- Psychologists from U of T and Harvard University have identified one of the biological bases of creativity
> The study in the September issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology says the brains of creative people appear to be more open to incoming stimuli from the surrounding environment. Other people's brains might shut out this same information through a process called "latent inhibition" - defined as an animal's unconscious capacity to ignore stimuli that experience has shown are irrelevant to its needs. Through psychological testing, the researchers showed that creative individuals are much more likely to have low levels of latent inhibition.
> "This means that creative individuals remain in contact with the extra information constantly streaming in from the environment," says co-author and U of T psychology professor Jordan Peterson. "The normal person classifies an object, and then forgets about it, even though that object is much more complex and interesting than he or she thinks. The creative person, by contrast, is always open to new possibilities."
> 
> Previously, scientists have associated failure to screen out stimuli with psychosis. However, Peterson and his co-researchers - lead author and psychology lecturer Shelley Carson of Harvard University's Faculty of Arts and Sciences and Harvard PhD candidate Daniel Higgins - hypothesized that it might also contribute to original thinking, especially when combined with high IQ. They administered tests of latent inhibition to Harvard undergraduates. Those classified as eminent creative achievers - participants under age 21 who reported unusually high scores in a single area of creative achievement - were seven times more likely to have low latent inhibition scores.
> 
> The authors hypothesize that latent inhibition may be positive when combined with high intelligence and good working memory - the capacity to think about many things at once - but negative otherwise. Peterson states: "If you are open to new information, new ideas, you better be able to intelligently and carefully edit and choose. If you have 50 ideas, only two or three are likely to be good. You have to be able to discriminate or you'll get swamped."
> 
> "Scientists have wondered for a long time why madness and creativity seem linked," says Carson. "It appears likely that low levels of latent inhibition and exceptional flexibility in thought might predispose to mental illness under some conditions and to creative accomplishment under others."
> 
> For example, during the early stages of diseases such as schizophrenia, which are often accompanied by feelings of deep insight, mystical knowledge and religious experience, chemical changes take place in which latent inhibition disappears.
> 
> "We are very excited by the results of these studies," says Peterson. "It appears that we have not only identified one of the biological bases of creativity but have moved towards cracking an age-old mystery: the relationship between genius, madness and the doors of perception."
> 
> This research was funded by the Stimson Fund and the Clark Fund at Harvard University and by the Connaught Fund at U of T.
> Jessica Whiteside is a news services officer with the department of public affairs.
> 
> CONTACT:
> Jordan B. Peterson, U of T Department of Psychology, ph: (416) 978-7619; email: [email protected]
> Shelley Carson, Harvard Department of Psychology, ph: (617) 496-3646; email: [email protected]
> U of T Public Affairs, ph: (416) 978-5948; email: [email protected]
> 
> What are "your thoughts"?


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## confused2010

*no more info, help please!!!*

Hi there, well while I found those articles interresting, and full of information, BUT nowhere is there any help on how to deal with the condition. Everywhere I go it seems, give me the explanation of the condition, some go a little further , but nowhere is there any usefull info on how to live with this stupid condition, how to deal with the headaches, the confusion and the dread of going to new places when you know you are going to be bombarded with information and your senses overloaded. :afr
My son has recently been diagnosed with LLI, and while it has helped a little to know what is different about him, we seem to get nowhere in helping him to move forward and to live a relatively normal life.


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## Hero

ive actually been comign to this site and avpd sites for a while. and i recently found about this on prison break. Upon further inspection it fits me 100% no doubt. Im very suprised a google search led me back here. I didnt realise it was related but they did mention its can be involved in mental illness.


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