Creatura - The Sentient Seaweed (the Extended Version)

Live scan of an unidentified seaweed - 2014, DS
Note: This scan is a product of a new flatbed scanner... which, apparently had difficulties
reading the black background, hence the weird color artifacts (unfortunately intensified online).
I've tried - and failed - to correct it. Sorry.

(click to enlarge)

creature |ˈkrē ch ər|
noun
an animal, as distinct from a human being : night sounds of birds and other creatures.
• an animal or person : as fellow creatures on this planet, animals deserve respect.
• a fictional or imaginary being, typically a frightening one : a creature from outer space.
• archaic anything living or existing : dress, jewels, and other transitory creatures.
• a person of a specified kind, typically one viewed with pity, contempt, or desire : you heartless creature!
• a person or organization considered to be under the complete control of another : the village teacher was expected to be the creature of his employer.

ORIGIN Middle English (in the sense [something created] ): via Old French from late Latin creatura, from the verb creare (see create).



"In the philosophy of consciousness, sentience can refer to the ability of any entity to have subjective perceptual experiences, or as some philosophers refer to them, "qualia". This is distinct from other aspects of the mind and consciousness, such as creativity, intelligence, sapience, self-awareness, and intentionality (the ability to have thoughts "about" something). Sentience is a minimalistic way of defining consciousness, which is otherwise commonly used to collectively describe sentience plus other characteristics of the mind.

Some philosophers, notably Colin McGinn, believe that sentience will never be understood, a position known as "new mysterianism". They do not deny that most other aspects of consciousness are subject to scientific investigation but they argue that subjective experiences will never be explained; i.e., sentience is the only aspect of consciousness that can't be explained. Other philosophers (such as Daniel Dennett) disagree, arguing that all aspects of consciousness will eventually be explained by science."

- Excerpt from the Wiki entry on sentience.

***

The summer solstice (the pagan holiday of Litha) approaches, and with it, my inevitable trips to the shore. Sometimes there's an agenda; mostly there isn't. But, when the ocean calls, it never needs to leave a message; I just get in my car - sans towels and sunblock lotion... sans beach blankets, beach balls,  beverage coolers and lounge chairs. I'm there for meditative purposes, investigative purposes, or, more generally, no purpose at all. The ocean calls, and that's enough.

Last week, however, there was a method to my madness as I plodded along the sandbars. My mission was to gather bits of seaweed for an image I was trying to rework and, hopefully, finish. Normally sea plants hold no interest for me, but, for the image, I needed the seaweed's specific organic contours...

The Merkabah and a Sixth Sense - A Practical View (Annotated)

"The idea or reality of the esoteric chakra system may or may not be relevant to the phenomena I am referring to - from what I gather, the chakra centers are considered symbolic and psycho-spiritual and have no apparent physiological manifestation - but, as I am not aware of any other "maps" at my disposal, contemporary "subtle energy" diagrams provide one place to begin the inquiry.

In the tradition of the Eastern mystics - and Western alternative healers - the chakras (Sanskrit for "wheels") are basically 7 main energy vortices or focal points that lie along the spinal column and skull. The uppermost point, and the one that concerns us here, is generally known as Sahasrara, the seventh, or "crown chakra". In some systems, the seventh chakra lies directly at the top of the head, but in others it lies above. In some systems there are a number of energy centers above the head - the uppermost, and the one that corresponds to my sensory zone is sometimes referred to as the "transpersonal point". In all chakra literature, the crown chakra's primary function seems to serve as a conduit for consciousness, generally of the "cosmic" or collective variety."

- From a web article "Non-Local" Causes and Effects on the Human Body (Tactile Sensations from a distance), Dia Sobin, uploaded 2007 (see: .pdf).


(Added June 9th 2020):

"I can't explain the science behind it, but I just tried it for myself - raised my hand to above the top of my head, and I could feel a sensation like the hairs standing on end - only in a small spot, nothing dramatic, but a definite tingling. I don't think I was imagining it because I can still feel the tingling now."

- A comment left on Posthuman Blues post in 2007 by "Bumble," a female reader of Mac's. His post links to the original web article mentioned above, although the link is now broken. I just found this comment recently and it made me smile. From her description, It seems the woman did, indeed, find the epicranial occult locus.

***

No, it's true, I wasn't lying. I am "exiting the blogosphere." Unfortunately, I spent so much time laying Post-Mac Blues to rest, I haven't had time to deal with Trans-D at all. Meanwhile March has arrived. It still looks like January where I am, mind you, and, yet, it could always be worse... it could look like war. But, as is apparent (and not out-of-character), I was a bit premature when designating "Imbolc" as the "last post". There will be this post and one more to come. I'm aiming for exactly 90 posts. It's a matter of symmetry and symbolism.  Esoterically, the number 9 is the perfect place to tie up loose ends and let loose the finished "product" - ones little spaceship careening towards the galaxy's edge.




How poetic.

But then, my muses - and/or my unconscious self - have/has an agenda... and, generally one I can't figure out till the last phase of a project. The agenda of this post started innocently enough. My urge was to post another scan. On a whim I had scanned into this machine a small crystal Merkabah - a recent birthday gift from my friend, Moo. As we know, I love minerals, and scanning them sometimes provides startling results. So, allow me to explain the scans above and to your left.

First off, Merkabah is an esoteric name given to a certain polyhedron - essentially a triakis octahedron and/or a stella octangula... It has a kind of weird shape that combines both the cubic and the hexagonal - in other words, viewed from one angle it looks square, from the other it resembles a 6-pointed star (hence the "stella"); this is a result of the fact that it is comprised of two interlocking tetrahedrons. Kind of like physical reality. My aim was to capture both angles via my flatbed scanner. To this end I taped my Merkabah - with packing tape - to the inside of a shallow box. Posted above are the results. Posted below (and below the jump) are the same scans with the tape digitally removed.

But, it's the light artifacts in the tape which interest me. While its true that cellophane material will create some cool image scans, I was a little startled by the weird effects produced in conjunction with the crystal polyhedron. Let's just say that, optically, light had a field day. One might also be inclined to consider certain myths concerning the Merkabah in a more sympathetic light.

Originally, the word "Merkabah" arose from early Judaic mysticism and referred to the "chariot of God", specifically that envisioned by the prophet Ezekial.  Of course, nothing is so sacred that it can't fall under the auspices of New Age jargon (or, for that matter, Ancient Alien lore). But, kernals of truth are found in the strangest of places.

Flatbed Scan of a Summer Flower

Begonia blossom scan - 2013, DS

(click to enlarge)

As an artist, despite all the scientifically-documented neurological, psychological & pathologlogical excuses for my existence, isn't the need for beauty the real bottom line?

And, in the event that every living organism has consciousness and sentience to some degree, isn't it possible that the expression of beauty - and the appreciation thereof - is as innate, inherent and essential to life, as any scientifically-accepted, well-documented mechanism to survive?

I scanned this begonia into the computer today, because I wanted to record it exactly as it was. I suppose that's what my scanning exercises amount to lately... along with a sort of subliminal attempt to understand transdimensionalism, albeit in reverse... that is, translating higher (3) dimensions into lower (2).

But, that's not the reason I posted it.

I posted it because it's beautiful.

Enjoy your summer.

***

Tech Note: Concerning flatbed scans of 3-D objects (also referred to, on this blog, as "live scans"). There's a plethora of info on the web describing the ways and means to perfect this type of image document, if you're interested. The most important factor in taking a good scan is having a scanner capable of copying 3-D objects... not all of them can. The ones which can, generally indicate this on the box description. Also, they often have a fluorescent light bar, which captures a greater depth of field than LEDs. And, by "scanner" I'm not referring to expensive equipment or anything having to do with the new 3-D printing technology. A dedicated scanner is imperative, however - forget "all-in-one's"!

Tech Note 2: To avoid a "pressed flower" look to a scanned flower image, leave a stem on your flower, and then try constructing a truncated cone around the flower head that will separate the flatbed glass from the flower petals. I used black paper for this - black is generally the best ground - with some degree of success. But, the contours of the cone are key, as well as the depth. The flower has to fit exactly and its petals should just brush the glass. Best bet? A fairly flat, rigid flower.


Tech Note 3: Except in the instance of a very flat object (like a house key, for example), you will either be leaving the scanner cover open, or taking it off altogether. Back-lighting may be an interesting effect on occasion, but I find it helpful to have a several boxes - lined in black - of various depths on hand to cover the scanner bed while shooting. Another possibility is a blanket of fabric, normally cut to the dimensions of the scanner bed, unless the "draped fabric" effect is a desirable background. Fabric, incidentally, scans fabulously!

Begonia blossom - 2016, 2013, DS

Labradorescence... Though the Eye of a Flatbed Scanner

4 separate scans - shot from 4 different angles - of a labradorite pendant cabochon
(click to enlarge)

"An Inuit legend says that long ago the Northern Lights fell from the sky and were trapped inside some rocks off the coast of Labrador. One day, an Inuit warrior came upon these rocks and tried to set the Northern Lights free. With blows from his spear, he was able to release most of the lights, but some still remained to be permanently imprisoned within the rocks. The trapped Northern Lights are what give the stone we know today as labradorite its brilliant flashes of light and color."

- Labradorite lore via this web page


"Labradorescence is a side-effect of the molecular change which occurs in large crystal masses of anorthosite, producing an iridescent play of colors. This labradorescence, or schiller effect, is the result of light diffraction within the lamellar intergrowths – fine, adjacent layers of the separate materials (lamellae) comprising the whole rock phase – created when conditions do not allow for sufficient diffusion to the materials' equilibrium composition.

The cause of this optical phenomenon is phase exsolution, or phase (state) instability, occurring in the Bøggild miscibility gap (An48-An58); under the appropriate heat and pressure conditions the separate molecular components will coexist but not mix to a solution, producing the phenomenon."

- Via Wiki's labradorite entry


"Labradorite is said to represent the "temple of the stars"... It brings the light of the other planetary beings to the soul of the user. The labradorescence is a luminescence, derived from extraterrestrial origin, which is enclosed in the mineral to bring the galactic evolved energies from other worlds to the Earth plane."

- Via this web page

***

Originally this post was going to welcome in the new year and feature a long-standing work in progress, "Labradorite Window". Well, that was the plan, at any rate. But, as it so happened, and so often happens, neither the image (nor the order of the day) really cooperated, while, at the same time, something new was added to the mix. That is, the above scan - of a favorite pendant of mine - representing yet another facet of a mysterious gem, known as labradorite.

Labradorite is named for the area it was "discovered" in 1770: Labrador, Canada. In reality, however, it has been found in numerous places, and traced as far back in time as the ancient Greeks, who knew it as "Black Moonstone".

I've only known about labradorite for around 15 years, finding my first piece - a sphere - in a metaphysical book shop here in CT. I stared at it for a long time initially, thinking I must be hallucinating, it was that unearthly beautiful. I felt a similar awe when I encountered my first comb jelly years before (see here). Maybe it's just something about flashes of electric blue light found in unlikely places that mesmerizes me. In any case, I learned the mineral's name and bought the sphere, which was astoundingly inexpensive, all things considered.

But, even a few years later, I could find very little about it online. Today, on the other hand, there's hundreds of links and images extolling its virtues; though often the memes being shared are repeated and distorted along the way. The information you might find is sometimes technical, but, far more often, overwhelmingly esoteric, and not always accurate.

I had scanned my labradorite pendant in the past, but never from different angles... and the one anomaly I missed, and one point of this post, was just how inaccurate a scanner can be. It doesn't, after all, faithfully record a 3D object. It interprets the object, and, when confronted with transparent or translucent objects, the scanner compensates for its disability by creating a new object altogether! (By the way, when scanning the labradorite, the scanner cover was left open, and nothing was placed on top of the pendant.)

If you looked at the above image, for instance - which is actually 4 separate scans combined - you might imagine the labradorite cabochon is solid and opaque in places. While the scan is, in a sense, describing how labradorescence actually works - possibly similar to recent scientific efforts to produce an invisibility cloak (?) - the image is hopelessly wrong. Looking at it, we might safely assume the schiller effect is floating across the surface of a chunk of brownish substrate. Looking at the images below, however - courtesy of my monitor's camera - the reality is something else again. In these three shots I am shining a small flashlight through the pendant. Though one can see the inclusions that may have created the overall pattern, the "substrate" does not exist. There is nothing remotely opaque in the cabochon. It is, for the most part, transparent.

Or is it? Wiki's description of labradorescence is muddied with technical terms. ("Extra-terrestrial" in the third quote is actually preferable... and, it might not be be all fantasy; apparently labradorite is found in meteors...) A simpler explanation is given by Merriam-Webster:  "A play of colors or colored reflections exhibited esp. by labradorite and caused by internal structures that selectively reflect only certain colors." (Other descriptions, in laymen's terms, may be found here or here.) But, I'm not sure any definition of labradorescence really describes the situation with the scan. Perhaps there's something about labradorescence that is, as of yet, unknown. After all, the rough gem is often found attached to just such a substrate as we see in the scan. Is the scanner actually showing us a residual image of the gem's past recorded in the labradorite's many layers, or is it a holographic-like mirage created by the scanner's deficiencies?

If you've ever witnessed labradorite in the flesh, you can attest to its innate mystery. And, if you, like a number of other people - including myself - are utterly transfixed by the sight of it, you, too, might attribute your fascination to some "unknown" factor.

As for my labradorite window, well, it's got a long way to go. Meanwhile, feast your eyes on some gorgeous specimens of the stone (which can be found as shown below: in the rough, as spheres, and as jewelry. But, also in sculpture: see here and here)... and have a happy new year!

Note on the above images (click to enlarge): The link to the first, on your left, can no longer be found. The sphere in the center, however, is sold here... and the beautiful pendant on your right can be found (as of this writing) in this Etsy shop. Incidentally, the morpho-butterfly-wing-under-glass effect found in this pendant is similar to my own.

A later added note: For all you alien lovers out there, there's actually several connections between this post and my last, "The Doors of Perception"... Funny how one can forget their own personal mythology consciously, but, on an unconscious level, the same roads are travelled again and again!

Time for a Change

Well, it's been over a year since Trans-D came into being, and while I liked the original graphic scheme (a snippet can be found here) - which seemed to be compatible, color-wise, with my own work, I was beginning to get turned off by the predominant shades of brown. I am always happiest with black! I'll still be tweaking it as time goes by, but, unless a whole lot of people inform me that they HATE it  - and really, you're allowed - and prefer the original, this... is... it!

(Later...) Okay, I guess I sort of worked out the bugs in this design, so hopefully it appears okay, regardless of varying monitor screens. Of course, depending upon what sort of gadget you're viewing this blog on, the background might not appear at all, but I just added the screen shot above for reference.

I also learned something new: .png files, regardless of the dimensions, do not change much in actual byte size. Which is kind of cool.

By the way, the background is the result of scanning some round glass cabochons with a scrap of black fabric laid over them. Interestingly, the cabochons were laid flat on the screen, but somehow took on a perspective in the  scan... a happy accident related to optics I hadn't foreseen.

But, no, the fabric is not velvet - thank you very much! ;-)

Autumn Leaf Eye Candy

Apart from the size - blown-up 200% - these scans are the real deal - no color enhancement was employed. With their amazing colors - blood reds, acid yellows, and florescent greens - the dying maple leaf can rival those of the more exotic, tropical plants.

Re: scanning. In the last analysis, it's a type of photography... with the major exception being that the subject is placed/designed/arranged from behind, with no clue as to what the obverse result will be. It's kind of like a crap-shoot.  But, when it works, it works!

Note: even lighting is a factor in the scanned image. The first was positioned poorly on the scanner bed, and faced the scanner light in a less-than-ideal direction. You can see how much the surface detail is improved in the second scan (directly above), which was shot on a different angle.

(Click images for original size.)