Creative potential among persons labeled developmentally delayed, part II: Meditation as a technique to release creativity

Abstract

Persons who are developmentally delayed can under proper conditions display engagement in the creative process (Stamatelos & Mott, 1983, 1984, 1985) . The fact that such persons behave in a manner that appears to be noncreative is more a result of their environment and treatment than of an inherent trait (Stamatelos & Mott, 1985 ; Zigler, 1973) . The apparent lack of creative thinking attributed to them is largely a result of applied behavior methodology/technology . Our system tends to devalue divergent thinking processes while recognizing the value of concrete, qualifiable, and observable data . The emphasis of habilitative programming is on social conformity (Tompkins, 1983) and overstructuring of the environment to ensure socially appropriate behavior. This model is limited in habilitative scope, often producing negative effects on the emotional well-being of clients (Matt, Rosenkoetter, Stamatelos, 1981) and producing stereotyped concrete thought patterns . We have found that within an environment that values authenticity and divergent thinking, clients considered rigid and concrete thinkers can successfully engage in the creative process . We believe that successful creative engagement among this group is due (1) to the removal of external contingencies (i .e ., rewards and punishments) and (2) to the establishment of natural, noncontingent interactions . Incubation time is a necessary component of the creative process that is absent from the treatment model designed for persons who are developmentally delayed . The concept of incubation and its necessity among these persons has led to the development of incubation/meditation techniques within the Habilitative Arts Therapy (HAT) milieu .' There is a strong relationship between incubation (the unconscious processing of information) and meditation which has a similar function, the essential difference being one of awareness and intent. Incubation is purely primary process while meditation (upon something) is a conscious function to stimulate primary process and bring it into awareness . Incubation and meditation are the underside and surface of the same stream . While it is difficult to research incubation because of its unconscious nature, meditation has been well researched in recent years and is used as a psychotherapeutic tool. Research indicates that meditation can produce states of relaxation with improvements in such conditions as anxiety, phobias, addictions, and hypertension (Evans, 1970; Kohut, 1971), while increasing