Rachel Govan

Rachel is a prolific and visionary artist and researcher in her early forties who maintains that all her art is guided by an autonomous (unconscious) 'other' neural process, allowing Rachel to produce her art without conscious (motor) control; without preconceived ideas; with effortless ease; without correction, even against her conscious will.

As a child Rachel would often go to Church with her father. But when Rachel was six her father suddenly died of a heart attack. The trauma of this event led Rachel to believe she had been responsible for her father's death (as a result of her 'powerful' intellect) resulting in arrested cognitive development and a state of cognitive deficit (rigid, concrete thinking). Rachel trained as a painter at art college, although due to her cognitive deficit she was unable to defend herself against overly critical tutors, resulting in this period damaging her both psychologically and creatively (Rachel eventually was unable to produce any art).

A few years later, in her mid-twenties she developed a phobia towards peoples outward movements and was referred to a psychiatrist in 1984 with an initial diagnosis of ego fragile personality with borderline features. Several months later Rachel was admitted to hospital and this led to five years of psychotherapy, with her therapist stating that the death of her father was pertinent to her current problems. But due to her cognitive deficit Rachel developed affective fixation towards her therapist, the intensity of which he did not realise, further increasing her problems.

Rachel's psychotherapy ended in January 1991 and four months later at her studio she went through an extraordinary neurocognitive (psychological) transformation via a religious ritual of her own unconscious devising, involving marking herself with the wounds of Christ and ritual masturbation - she managed to destroy the cognitive deficit - changing all aspects of her life dramatically including her creative ability. Rachel explains that the ritual allowed the integration of abstract ability which had been previously blocked (inaccessible) whilst in a state of cognitive deficit, allowing for her cure (Rachel is now very autonomous). Rachel now researches into cognitive deficits; "I don't believe shizophrenia is a biological disease - although a formal psychiatric disorder, I believe shizophrenia is psychosocial in origin". Rachel is also particularly interested in the savant syndrome - an ability (processes) very much related to her own.

The 'process' enables her to intuitively paint structures such as cancer cells, the effects of methadone on the brain and the make-up of the H-bomb. Rachel states that all her work is an on-going individuation process (deeply religious and philosophical), and forms the backbone of her research into brain function. Her art work concerning several sciences express both fundamental laws and various techniques and technologies used in current research methods. Some scientists have verified that her works do correspond to actual structures and further more could potentially provide further insights into several areas of science.

Rachel is recognised by the contemporary art world as a serious artist of merit, though they have been slow to recognise that the 'process' is a trait, and only a trait, of exceptional ability, recognised by researcher in the field of creativity/exceptional ability/giftedness. Rachel's work has been seriously considered by the Tate Gallery but is still to find a gallery willing to promote her work (Rachel's work is highly innovative). Rachel says that the 'other' neural process that produces all her art is the intense, flexible, divergent, abstract thinking brain that was previously 'blocked' when in a state of cognitive deficit. She animatedly says that what is most extraordinary is that her brain allows her to experience her unconscious processes, physiologically, providing a 'vehicle' and permanent access via her 'creativity', to the fathomless depths of her unconscious mind (allowing new ideas to be born). She talks passionately about Jesus whom she believes achieved the ultimate brain state (consciousness itself: enlightenment) and believes that her ability could provide further clues to the neurocognitive processes accessed by Jesus of Nazereth himself.

RACHEL GOVAN July 2002.

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