An Essay in Rorschach Revisionism,with Special Reference to the Maslowian Self-Actualizer: I. Innovation vs Imagination,Idealism,Mysticism,Romanticism

Abstract

This is the first part of an essay designed: (1) to interrelate Rorschachian and Maslowian theory, (2) to propose modifications on the inner creation side of the former, and (3) to amplify implications on the self-actualization side of the latter. In this part, the focus is on the non-innovativeness of inner creation—or, to put it positively, on inner creation as the Imagination, Intuition, or Reason of idealism, mysticism, and romanticism. In the next part, the focus is on the role of inner creation in perception. The over-all thesis is that “self-actualizing creativeness” involves inner creative thought and perception but not creativity in the sense of social novelty.