The Psychology of Inspiration

The theory I wish to ventilate in this article is one that concerns the nature of inspiration, as seen in the sudden advent of a brilliant thought, or a peculiarly felicitous line, or an exceedingly clever invention. How do these inspirations originate? Have they a traceable psychological history? Can we discover the very first idea, then the next and modified idea, and finally the finished product?

As yet these questions can be answered only in part, but on general lines I venture to put forward the theory that an inspiration is the normal, but highly fortunate expression of the law which, in its unfortunate and abnormal forms, issues in a complex. All students of the unconscious will have no difficulty in understanding the analogy, but in order to make it plain to everybody, I will state the case more fully. A complex is really a clot of emotionalized thought in the unconscious—on the physical plan it is like a clot of blood in the brain. There are many definitions of a complex, but it is essentially an idea with emotions grouped around it and attached to it, but more or less detached from consciousness. Complexes are formed by the repression of those unwelcome desires, thoughts and experiences which, on the conscious plane become the center of mental conflict. Most people who suffer from severe complexes realize the effect, but do not know the cause: it exists in the unconscious. A man may fall ill in a peculiar way, such as being unable to satisfy himself that he has no mud on his trousers, even when he has brushed them for twenty minutes. He is worried and anxious about this suspicion, which he feels to be quite absurd; even his dreams are nightmares concerning it. What is needed is that the buried complex should be brought to the surface, that is into consciousness; then the mad, mysterious anxiety about nothing at all will disappear.

Now, one reason why unhealthy complexes are formed can be referred to the fact that we are made for expression rather than