Leonardo da Vinci, The Psychedelic Visual Biography by Ralph Steadman (Gallery)

Leonardo da Vinci, The Psychedelic Visual Biography by Ralph Steadman (Gallery) | Third Monk image 20

Freud once observed that the great Renaissance man Leonardo da Vinci was “like a man who awoke too early in the darkness, while the others were all still asleep.” His visionary anatomical illustrations changed the course of modern medicine, and he knew how to play the long game of the creative life.

British cartoonist Ralph Steadman, famously known for his collaborations with Hunter S Thompson developed a great obsession with Leonardo da Vinci in the early 1980s. He began to paint Leonardo’s inventions, as well as countless drawings of Leonardo himself, and eventually even traveled to Italy to stand where Leonardo stood, seeking to envision what it was like to inhabit that endlessly imaginative mind and boundless spirit.

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Steadman released I, Leonardo (public library) — a remarkable “autobiography” of Da Vinci as imagined by Steadman, written in the first person and illustrated in the cartoonist’s unmistakable style.

Funny, poignant, sometimes gory, sometimes optimistic, always intensely intelligent, Steadman’s story stretches from Leonardo’s boyhood experiments to his dying words, granting equal dignity to his triumphs as a genius and his doubts and disappointments as a human being.
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The eyes … are the chief means whereby the understanding may most fully and abundantly appreciate the infinite works of nature.

The eye counsels all the arts of mankind … it is the prince of mathematics … it has given birth to architecture and to perspective and to the divine art of painting. Painting encompasses all the ten functions of the eye, that is, darkness, light, body, color, shape, location, remoteness, nearness, motion and rest.

Because of the eye the soul is content to stay in its bodily prison, for without it such imprisonment is torture. Who would believe that so small a space could confirm the image of all the universe?

– Much of Steadman’s narrative is woven from Leonardo’s own musings, collected in his Thoughts on Art and Life (which is available as a free download).

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Beloved British Artist Ralph Steadman Illustrates the Life of Leonardo da Vinci | Brain Pickings

Surreality GIFs by Bill Domonkos (Gallery)

Surreality GIFs by Bill Domonkos (Gallery) | Third Monk image 5

Bill Domonkos is a visual artist and filmmaker.

His work has been shown internationally in cinemas, film festivals, galleries and museums.

Domonkos’ surreal GIFs are created using archival photos and vintage film footage, effectively smacking reality in the face, leaving us with a sense of the impossible made surreal.

Surreality GIFs by Bill Domonkos

Zero One

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Equus 

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Cloaked 

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Taxi Driver

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Horsetail Falls

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Tesseract No.6159

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Multiverse

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Dutch Roll

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Birder

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Sticks and Stones

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Flora

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The Refrigerator Awakes

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Bonini’s Paradox 

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Portal

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Surreal Dream Art From 1970s Japanese Culture (Gallery)

Surreal Dream Art From 1970s Japanese Culture (Gallery) | Third Monk image 5

Combining dreams and art produces psychedelic imagery because they share the same boundless canvas.

Surreal dream visions are highlighted in these dream art scans from 50watt’s collection of 1970s’ Japanese illustration catalogs.

Shigeru Izumiya

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Hidetoshi Umeda

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05-sleep-teriyaki024-hidetoshi-umeda-magazine-illus-c1981 Dream Art

Ryu Kumita

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Tadami Yamada

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Shuhei Hasegawa

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Haruo Takino

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Toshinobu Imai

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Yukio Ueda

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Hanmo Sugiuura

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Ayahuasca Visions: Shamanic Psychedelic Visionary Art, Nisvan Gallery

Ayahuasca Visions: Shamanic Psychedelic Visionary Art, Nisvan Gallery | Third Monk image 8

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It can be tough to take the psychedelic plunge and still remember to bring a bit of that often indescribable essence back with you, to the real world. Fortunately, Nisvan’s ability to recall his Ayahuasca visions is in full display.

Enjoy Nisvan’s incredible visionary art inspired by his psychedelic shamanic ayahuasca ceremonies.

Nisvan’s Ayahuasca Visions

Inner vision

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Letting go of physical restrictions, shifting into a multi-layered consciousness of sound/light vibrations.

El Rey Leon

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Power animal, giving strength and protection on the inner levels.

Flight of the Eagle

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Travelling with lightspeed to the outer realms.

We are star-princes

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Two elders appear, offering healing to the soul.

Spectral bat-insect

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Trying to hide in the folds of my memory.

Galactic knights assembling

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Entering the inner-space dome

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Palace of light

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Dark Chrissalis bird of habit disintegrated at the treshold of the palace of light.

Healing Buddhas

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Appearing in caleidoscopic mandala vision, beaming their love directly from the source

Harmony

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Sky Prince

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Having awareness of heavenly constellations.

Ancestors: the Chief

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Cosmic man

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 Beyond the body, resonating with the stars.

Golden Birdman

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Not of this world

23_Nisvan_not_of_this_world > Shamanic Psychedelic Art | Ultra Feel

Psychedelic Geometric GIFs by David Whyte

Psychedelic Geometric GIFs by David Whyte | Third Monk image 1

David Whyte’s minimalistic use of geometric shapes and psychedelic color places an increased emphasis on motion, and leaves one dumbstruck at how he conceives of each Geometric GIF.

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David Whyte’s background in mathematics and physics greatly enhanced his understanding of motion and geometry and it wasn’t long before he was churning out some of the most popular geometric GIF animations shared on his Tumblr, Bees & Bombs.

In a somewhat rare move he happens to be quite open about his methods and often posts source code and tips to help other artists.  – Colossal

Alice in Wonderland Painted by Salvador Dalí, Art Gallery

Alice in Wonderland Painted by Salvador Dalí, Art Gallery | Third Monk image 13

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In 1969, a collaboration of epic proportion took place as Alice in Wonderland was illustrated by Salvador Dalí.

The art book went on to become one of the most sought-after Dalí suites of all time. It contains 12 heliogravures, one for each chapter of the book, and one original signed etching in 4 colors as the frontpiece, all of which have been kindly digitized by the William Bennett Gallery

Alice’s Evidence

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The Lobster’s Quadrille

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The Mock Turtle’s Story

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The Queen’s Croquet Ground

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Mad Tea Party

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Pig and Pepper

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Advice From a Caterpillar

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The Rabbit Sends in a Little Bill

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A Caucus Race and a Long Tale

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The Pool of Tears

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Down the Rabbit Hole

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Frontpiece

alicedali1Salvador Dalí Illustrates Alice in Wonderland, 1969 | Brain Pickings

Snap Shots of The Psychedelic Realm and Ego Death – Alex Grey

Snap Shots of The Psychedelic Realm and Ego Death - Alex Grey | Third Monk image 2

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With the publication of Sacred Mirrors: The Visionary Art of Alex Grey in 1990, the psychedelic community soon discovered that the art contained within its pages resonated to many like miraculous snap shots of the psychedelic realm, faithfully rendered vistas brought back with great skill from the far shores of the visionary experience.

My art has always been in response to visions. Rather than confine myself to representations of the outer worlds, I include portrayals of multi-dimensional imaginal realms that pull us towards consciousness evolution.

– Alex Grey

The use of Alex Grey’s artwork on the album covers and stage shows of bands like Tool and The Beastie Boys greatly increased his general popularity with youth culture, while the inclusion of his artwork in the actual Burning Man structure in 2006 essentially anointed his chosen status as this generation’s most important psychedelic artist.

In the earliest body of work that has established Alex Grey’s special place in psychedelic history, his art manages to blend the physical realms of the human body—a feat in itself only achieved by many years of training in medical drawings—with the psychic energy fields and auras of the mystics and quantum physicists, the knowledge of which has come to the artist from years of meditation, study, and contemplation.Alex_Grey-Praying

Human figures are stripped of their covering (“the skin encapsulated Ego”) to reveal a complex multi-colored system of organs, bones, veins, and arteries that can be seen to be generating rainbow fields and crackles of pure white energy that penetrate the vacuum in every direction, an effect that could seem ghoulish were it not for the presence of the subjects eyes, which gaze out at the viewer with an often astonishing humanity and are revealed as the true ‘windows of the soul’.

Alex Grey has said that after the unexpected death of Terence McKenna, he felt that he (and others) had felt the call to ‘step up and speak out about psychedelics’ to try and occupy the void in psychedelic culture that Terence’s early departure created. And one of the reasons that Alex Grey has become the most popular speaker on psychedelics since Terence McKenna—and perhaps the thing that separates him from other visionary artists—is the fact that there is a serious philosophy behind Alex’s work, and that he himself has been (and continues to be) one of the great students of psychedelic history.

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The Second Psychedelic Revolution: Alex Grey, The Mystic-Artist | Reality Sandwich

Psychedelic Dimensions of Consciousness, Larry Carlson Art Gallery

Psychedelic Dimensions of Consciousness, Larry Carlson Art Gallery | Third Monk image 5

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This psychedelic art gallery showcases the surreal imagination of Larry Carlson.

Each image has an out of this world feeling. The colors and visuals all coalesce with the viewer’s imagination, it’s like looking into an optical illusion where there’s more behind each artistic piece.

Psychedelic Art Gallery – Larry Carlson

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Surreal Video Art – Pyramid Power

The Wonderful World of Larry Carlson | Larry Carlson

Psychedelic Watercolor Paintings, Guillem Mari Art Gallery

Psychedelic Watercolor Paintings, Guillem Mari Art Gallery | Third Monk image 8

Guillem Mari is an illustrator whose distinct watercolor style has gotten a lot of attention.

After working in the animation industry, Guillem became a freelancer in comics and illustration, working for Marvel and Image Comics.

R_Evolution

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A New Path

A New Path Guillem Mari

Mad Hatter

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Manifest

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Eye Contact Permitted

Eye Contact Permitted

Utopia

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One Conscious Breath

One Conscious Breath

Dancer

Dancer

Rust Cohle

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Sonic Hues

Sonic Hues

Sonic Hues II

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The Human Drama

The Human Drama

Shaman

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Tidy Monster: An Animated Descent into Madness (Video)

Tidy Monster: An Animated Descent into Madness (Video) | Third Monk

Tidy Monster by Tim Marchant is an animated descent into the insane mind of an unseen character.

A symphony of sound, visual effects, and mood where a room is all there is in his world, and we watch as he struggles to keep it tidy.

From the comments I’ve read some people are claiming the video is awesome to watch while tripping; others instead assure such an experience only leads to a bad trip. 

I haven’t tried watching it on psychedelics, but if you do, be aware of the possibilities or consequences, depending on your perspective.

Remember, ultimately, what is happening to the room is up to you.

Tidy Monster - Tim Marchant

The Psychedelic Experience by Warrior Poet Aubrey Marcus (Video)

The Psychedelic Experience by Warrior Poet Aubrey Marcus (Video) | Third Monk image 1

The Psychedelic Experience is an artistic video with a powerfully positive psychedelic message. The evocative images are timely interwoven with Aubrey’s voice, a harmonic synthesis of passion.

Aubrey MarcusThe Warrior Poet – is a well-known psychonaut, who, much like Jason Silva, positively describes the psychedelic experience for it’s ability to heal and reveal us.

The Psychedelic Experience - by Alex Grey

Full Transcript:

What is the psychedelic experience? Aldous Huxley believed it was the fundamental craving of the human spirit. A desire to turn off the survival biased filter of perception just for a moment… and catch a glimpse beyond the bars of our cognitive prison.

The psychedelic experience does not require drugs. Religious history and spiritual traditions are built upon these sublime moments. Messiahs hear the voice of God after a 40 day fast. Holy men, having isolated themselves in a cave, suddenly emerge with visionary truth.

But to indulge in a 40 day fast to reach this heightened state is like burning your house down to bake a loaf of bread. One hour in a salt-water isolation tank quiets the noise of sensation until awareness becomes the mirror that reveals you to yourself. A single session of holotropic breathing restricts our mental chatter long enough to plunge you into the zero-state of visionary Inspiration. Then there are the earth movers… The plant medicines at the core of many religious sacraments, which according to Graham Hancock were integral to inspiring the earliest known art in caves throughout Europe.

These plants are technologies. In a recent placebo controlled study completed by Johns Hopkins university 18 healthy adults were given Psilocybin, the active ingredient in ‘magic’ mushrooms. Fourteen months after participating in the study, 94% of those who received the drug said the experiment was one of their top five most positive experiences; 40% said it was the single most meaningful experience of their life.

Ayahuasca, long called the Master Medicine by the healers of the rainforest, offers an experience with the most visually powerful and mysterious of all molecules endogenous to life, DiMethyltryptamine

Iboga, the root of an African shrub, confronts you with the voice of your own inner truth for 24 waking hours and is being used to treat Heroin addiction with relapse rates reported at a shockingly low 7%.

Why doesn’t the world embrace these technologies? Terrence Mckenna has an answer, “It takes courage to take psychedelics — real courage. Your stomach clenches, your palms grow damp, because you realise this is real — this is going to work. Not in 12 years, not in 20 years, but in an hour!”

What can the Psychedelic Experience be?
The cloth that wipes clean our lens of perception,
The compass that points true north to our life’s calling,
The lantern in the catacombs of our subconscious,
The sword stroke that unfetters the muse,
The sunlight that dispels the shadows of our past
Or simply a respite of eternity, in the fast flowing river of time.

I’ve been to the other side, stared unflinching into the eyes of my eternal soul and seen a matrix of a thousand possible destinies. I’ve witnessed the span of our current universe contained in an unceasing heartbeat, each world a single bloodcell and each contraction a new existence for life itself. I’ve learned of humility on the back of a dragon, felt the terminal extreme of heaven and hell in the marrow of my bones, died and been reborn anew. What will your psychedelic experience be?

Courage to you all.

Psychedelic Filter