Overexcitability

The Theory of Positive Disintegration (TPD) by Kazimierz Dabrowski describes a theory of personality and personality development. Unlike mainstream psychology, Dabrowski's theoretical framework views psychological tension, anxiety, and depression as necessary for growth. The strongest potential for tensions that lead to advancement stem from mental overexcitabilities, above-average reactions to stimuli. Also, unlike some other theories of development such as Erikson's stages of psychosocial development, it is not assumed that even a majority of people progress through all levels, which are not tied to ages.

Overexcitabilities are sometimes used to help predict "giftedness" in both children and adults: The more "excited" or the more stimulated a sense is in a person, the more susceptible or prone his brain is to react in an extreme manner to anything that triggers it, thus the possibilities of expansion in ways of learning are increased in this person. Gifted people appear to be very in touch with their 5 senses possibly making them, in a sense, more 'global' than others.