Anthony Storr


Anthony Storr was an English psychiatrist, psychoanalyst and author.

Background and education

Born in London, Storr was educated at Winchester College, Christ's College, Cambridge, and Westminster Hospital. He was in the first cohort of medics to train in Jungian analysis at the Society of Analytical Psychology in London.

Oxford

In 1974, Storr moved from private practice to a teaching appointment at the Warneford Hospital in Oxford, until his retirement in 1984.

Personal

Storr was, as one of his obituarists observed, "no stranger to suffering". He married twice, to Catherine Cole in 1942 and writer Catherine Peters in 1970 after the first marriage ended in divorce.

Distinctions

In his books, Storr explored the secrets of the dark sides of the human psyche – sexual deviations, aggression, and destructiveness. At the same time, he saw the possibility of creative use of these spontaneous drives and directing them towards sports, scientific and artistic feats.
In his final book Feet of Clay; Saints, Sinners, and Madmen: The Power and Charisma of Gurus Storr tracks typical patterns, often involving psychotic disorders that shape the development of the guru. He challenges Jesus' mental health by implying that there are psychological similarities between crazy "messiahs" such as Jim Jones, David Koresh, and respected religious leaders, including Jesus. His study is an attempt to look at Jesus as one of many gurus.

Publications