The narrative of the series of photographs is based on the reconstruction of mystic experiences. In his book “The Varieties of Religious Experience” (1902), William James takes under close scrutiny the spiritual aspect of various cultures and decades. The foundation of James’ empirical studies was the mystical experience recounted by common folks and mystics. In his analysis of the nature of human mind, he approached the discipline of phenomenology which examines the stream of consciousness. This study serves as a main source of inspiration for the project which also delves into the history of photography, video experiments and sci-fi literature of the 20th century.
The idea for the project crossed my mind when I participated in the course in contemporary philosophy, the representatives of which tackled the notions of subjectivity, limits of cognition and language. Mysticism seems worth considering also in relation to mind’s nature, artificial intelligence and transhumanism.
