envisioning shapes?

[glassmoon]

hi
I didn't realy know where to post this thread, so I decided to post it here in the playground since it's probably less serious to be in people & psychology.
There's a habit I used to have which I recalled of recently, somethimes I would close my eyes and then conentrate on the light 'imprints' on the retina (I presume they are, since I'm seldomly in complete darkness), then I would (not always) envision a shape or an image. I think this is somewhat like seeing familiar shapes in cloudes or in other chaotic patterns (as the famous identyifing 'stains' pictue test). Does anyone else have this habit?

An interesting fact which might be related:
People who get knocked on their head and 'see stars' often report seeing shapes like the Madelbrot fractals. Also people who suffer from schizophrenia often report seeing typical fractals shapes.
The Mandelbrot fractal:
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/2854/gall01.gif

[raincrow007]

Being an artist, I think I can safely confess to the habit of 'envisioning shapes'. I've never taken the Rorschach test [what I think you called the "stains" test], although I find the concept interesting. While crystallographic designs appeal to me, I'd have to say that more ambiguous organic shapes are my main preference. I don't always attempt to convert the shape "into something"; I can easily enjoy them from a purely non-objective standpoint.

[Claverhouse]

Would it be related to the fact that if you close your eyes and press on your eyeballs you see geometric patterns of coloured lights anyway ? These change rapidly but rarely form into a 'shape' ( apart from the last elusive blaze of light dying away ).



Claverhouse :ph34r:

[raincrow007]

There's some sort of weird social study done on primitive tribes and entopic phenomenon... but damn if I remember enough to hunt it up.... :P

[nobarcode]

I've never taken the Rorschach test [what I think you called the "stains" test], although I find the concept interesting. While crystallographic designs appeal to me, I'd have to say that more ambiguous organic shapes are my main preference. I don't always attempt to convert the shape "into something"; I can easily enjoy them from a purely non-objective standpoint.
Did you ever take acid or mushrooms? (not required), but....
The Rorschach "ink blot" test is interesting, but requires study. FYI

[raincrow007]

Okay nobarcode, I took that in a totally non-serious manner, which is how I hope you intended. But if I *had* dropped a few tabs, I'm sure I'd get stuck staring at your avatar. :P

[nobarcode]

Yes well, my avatar is primative, but effective.....and that's a different thread.

[Ascending]

Yes I do. Often imagination becomes mixed and it becomes hard to tell whats actualy there and what is imposed.

An interesting thing, if you stare at the static on a television and imagine shapes such as a 3, you will actualy see it on the screen. Almost immedietly after you see it, it begins to float away, turn, morph, and distort.

[glassmoon]

I think I know what you're talking about, I wonder if it's type related, but I meant to something specific. I actually would concentrate on the light dots in order to envision images which are made of ordered dots...


An interesting thing, if you stare at the static on a television and imagine shapes such as a 3, you will actualy see it on the screen. Almost immedietly after you see it, it begins to float away, turn, morph, and distort.I think this might be explained by an inner Visual-Spatial thinking process mixed with outer sensory stimulus.

[nBT]

Yes I do. Often imagination becomes mixed and it becomes hard to tell whats actualy there and what is imposed.

An interesting thing, if you stare at the static on a television and imagine shapes such as a 3, you will actualy see it on the screen. Almost immedietly after you see it, it begins to float away, turn, morph, and distort.

any random pattern will do.
tv, clouds, inkblots.

you mention you wish to see a 3. would that 3 still come up if you didnt wish for it?. what else would come up. it is also said that if you look for a specific ad or piece of text in a paper you will also find it. i assume this is intuition having a pre-formed patter/notion and scanning through these 'glasses' to find what you look for.

next could anyone find anything if they werent wishing hoping it?

im now gonna derail the thread
many soft seinces woudnt have existed without imagination, as einstein said. its also possible to bend math into making your dream real. arent we incredibley misguided by our intuition?

[bmw318tiChic]

Would it be related to the fact that if you close your eyes and press on your eyeballs you see geometric patterns of coloured lights anyway ? These change rapidly but rarely form into a 'shape' ( apart from the last elusive blaze of light dying away ).



Claverhouse :ph34r:

When I was younger and couldn't sleep, I often pressed on my eyes really hard and watched the "lightning". I guess it was the veins/arteries in my eyes or something. Entertaining.

[jimkopelli]

Checkerboards for me.

[glassmoon]

When I was younger and couldn't sleep, I often pressed on my eyes really hard and watched the "lightning". I guess it was the veins/arteries in my eyes or something. Entertaining.
Entertaining indeed.

[kuranes]

The previous thread on this was called "Do you see what i see?"

My art is often based on this phenomenon. I'm totally into it. I love looking at how the morning light makes angular "faces" out of random folds in the bed blankets. I tried drawing one of them the other day. It was very difficult to capture the real essence of the fucker. I finally succeeded though. Yeahhh! Kuranes - working hard in Chicago . . . . . .

[Ivy]

The previous thread on this was called "Do you see what i see?"

My art is often based on this phenomenon. I'm totally into it. I love looking at how the morning light makes angular "faces" out of random folds in the bed blankets. I tried drawing one of them the other day. It was very difficult to capture the real essence of the fucker. I finally succeeded though. Yeahhh! Kuranes - working hard in Chicago . . . . . .

Do you have any of your art online? I would love to see it. This description is fascinating.