Aug 9, 2012

Psilocybin Art

Perhaps not quite CEREBRART but really interesting from a CEREBRART point of view. A contemporary artist Brian Lewis Saunders has done at least one self-portrait every day for almost 16 years now, and will continue to do this until he dies. Every day,  Brian Lewis Saunders would take a different neuroactive drug and then draw his self-portrait while under the influence.

Just one example - psilocybin. The ability of psilocybin to cause perceptual distortions is linked to its influence on the activity of the prefrontal cortex - the anterior part of the frontal lobes of the brain, lying in front of the motor and premotor areas. This self-portrait clearly demonstrates some significant changes in the frontal area.

For more, visit his website.

9 comments:

  1. ... cool, but not for my wall.

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  2. Well. Cool. But do not try this at home. Remember, this is not CEREBRART - this is psilocybin - a neuroactive drug. Anything that is neuroactive can hurt your brain. And CEREBRART is about improving your brain.

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  3. You're a funny guy, Brian, I like you!

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  4. Overall, this guy is a funny man, please don't spoil your brain while mimicking this guy.

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  5. Psilocybin activates serotonin receptors (scientific side) and triggers transformative spiritual and artistic states so why this is not CEREBRART?

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  6. Psilocybin like many other drugs, may change in differents ways the perception of a reality, but Cerebrart are looking to identifie not only the efects of those sustances, but the mode how the brain, by it self is producing ideas, feeling, chaos, emotion, without any external help, except the sustances( normal food)who are later incorporate to the blood and then actin into the brain...
    Carlos calderon yruegas

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  7. Carlos: you are absolutely right - in my opinion this picture is not made with a clear goal to create CEREBRART work. And, of course, as CEREBRART is
    a new concept, strict criteria are still absent and should be created. That's why I wrote "Perhaps not quite CEREBRART ..."- Nevertheless, as a medical professional I know that any external influences (including toxical etc.) could be very helpful in discovering internal, natural features and mechanisms of our brains acting without any external help. Therefore, I appended this: "Perhaps not quite CEREBRART but really interesting from a CEREBRART point of view.". I hope, strict criteria of CEREBRART will be created soon!

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  8. I think all serious artistic things to depict the inner world of the psyche and the brain may be considered psychedelic art (including psilocybin art, cerebrart etc.). They all have strong links to important developments in brain science and psychology.

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  9. Beware! Psilocybin can cause long-term chaotic changes in the normal space-time representation.

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