In this paper, we propose a new theory called "salutography", which analyzes the creative genius from the viewpoint of salutogenesis, opposite from the conventional method of pathography, which analyzes creation from the viewpoint of pathology. From this standpoint, we examined Kyohei Sakaguchi, an artist, writer, and architect who was actively engaged in creative activities while disclosing his bipolar disorder. Sakaguchi's creativity manifested mainly in the hypomanic phase, but during the depressive phase, his creativity declined and he denied all his achievements and existence, leading to suicidal ideation. Sakaguchi's partner "FOO" has consistently supported him. Her attitude, such as "hearing without serious attention" was desirable for Sakaguchi's recovery.
According to Sakaguchi, thought is "a nest of thought" in human beings, which is "space opposite to reality". Creation means connecting "a nest of thought" created by individuals on the stage for communication, "reality". Somatic existence is deeply involved in this process.
In "Open Dialogue (OD)" as a treatment, meanings and narratives are generated from the physical synchronization of participants. In this case, otherness means an inherent bodily property, and synchronization brings about polyphony, not fusion or identification (≈Symphony).
Unlike individual psychotherapy, which is based on a bipartite relationship, OD requires treatment by a team. The introduction of the team and network activates the multilayered properties of an individual's body (vertical polyphony) by the presence of entire embodied persons in the OD meeting (horizontal polyphony), and the polyphonic synchronization exceeding the prediction by the participant is generated, which becomes a therapeutic momentum. The relationship between Sakaguchi and "FOO" is unique because, although it is a two-party relationship, there are many momentums that lead to polyphony.
<Author's abstract>
Kyohei Sakaguchi: Creation as Salutogenesis
Social Psychiatry and Mental Health Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba
Psychiatria et Neurologia Japonica
122: 47-53, 2020
<Keywords:Kyohei Sakaguchi, salutogenesis, salutography, nest of thought, polyphony>