John Forbes Nash 1928


John Nash is a world famous mathematician.  He suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. He spent approximately 30 years in and out of hospitals, with hallucinations, delusions and hearing voices.  Making great strides with recovery in the late 1980’s, he went on to earn a Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 1994, for his earlier works.  His idea of (Nash Equilibrium) for game theory was applied in many fields.



Vincent Van Gogh   1853-1890


Vincent van Gogh was one of the greatest painters in history, but earned fame only after his death.  His life was difficult, which ended up in suicide.  He was suffering from bi-polar disorder, and some believe schizophrenia. His work appeared to correlate with his patterns of mood and psychosis.Out of depression he once cut off part of his own ear.



Edgar Allan Poe   1809-1849



Edgar Allan Poe was a famous writer, who was known to have a problem with suicidal tendencies and alcohol.The cause of his death at 40 is still unknown.  Poe was also known as a manic-depressive.  Poe once wrote the following quote;  ” Men have called me mad; but the question is not yet settled, whether madness is or is not the loftiest intelligence– whether much that is glorious– whether all that is profound–does not spring from disease of thought– from moods of mind exhalted at the expence of the general intellect”.  He was best know for his poen The Raven.


Ludwig van Beethoven   1770-1827



Beethoven was a famous music composer who also led a difficult life.  He was raised by an alcoholic, abusive father.  Between the ages of 30 and 49 he gradually lost his hearing, believed to be caused from the beatings from his father.  His most famous work came about after he lost his hearing.  He also had suicidal tendencies, and believed to have bi-polar disorder as well.  Diagnosis attributed to his behaviors with periods of depression, and periods of highly intense creativity.  Tests taken of his hair shows extremely high level of lead.  High lead content may have led to his mental illness.



Sir Isaac Newton  1642-1727



Sir Isaac Newton was a famous scientist.  He was renowned for his work in physics and mechanics, calculus, universal gravitation, laws of motion, and helped build the first reflective telescope.  His psychotic tendencies, mood swings and behavior were due to possible bi-polar disorder.  Some evidence lends credence to possible schizophrenia from delusional letters he had written to his brother.  Some would believe his mental disorder stemmed from traumatic childhood experiences.

A mathematician, an artist, a writer, a musical composer, and a scientist— all genius, all troubled, world famous.