Shaun of the Dead

 

Zodiac Variations

 by Thornswrath 

  

Monozodiac variant 3.0

    Fourteen years ago, on my forty-fifth birthday, a contingency of us underground die hards went to see Mono perform at the Urban Lounge in Salt Lake City.  I brought my watercolor set to the bar, and worked up some abstract watercolors at various times throughout the evening.  In fact, I remember I did one for the opening band, The Twilight Sad, they were pretty cool and I always wanted to mail them the painting I did of the backs of the heads of the crowd standing before them while they performed onstage that night.   

[insert TWILIGHT SAD watercolor painting here later]

   The japanese band mono who morphed from post rock to post classical over the course of a couple of decades has since evolved even further along musical lines that may remain nearly incomprehensible to those who've lacked the context of what their first twelve albums sound like.   

    The altered digital scan above I named  'Monozodiac variant 3.0' (in the darker blackened orange reddish tones) may be only one of a whole host of variants which represent a whole array of colors and tones throughout the spectrum, so I'm thinking of building a small cluster of variants which could be shown as a mobius slide show endless .gif looping and shifting colors through the spectrum. 

   In this variant, I seized upon the horsehead nebula shaped flicker of flame at the end of that penetrating wavelength, lending the appearance of a tongue of fire indicating a darker mass behind it, which from some of the tones in the texture resemble the chitinous skin of a gigantic ant head, or creepy cricket facing you head on, crouching before the flickering flames of Hell.  

  You can see what's intended to represent Taka Goto's black mop of hair at the bottom just to the right of center (although in the original watercolor depicted below, he's to the left of center, and his hair is green, sorta like the Joker.) Everything you see depicted erupting around him are the direct results of their music through this painting I made sitting at my table in the Urban Lounge with my watercolor set while my brush dipped in and out of a plastic cup of Oxidane rapidly to spread the various hues onto 100% cold-pressed paper. I painted a few of them during the dizzying, stunning set, and ended up letting different members of the band choose their own ones to take home with them, when we met at the merch-booth during the aftermath of the show. 

   I kept mine, (I'll have to dig into the archives of my blogdom of Thorns in order to find the full scan of it, which I think is being used over in my Grub Live shows blog, or I made a blog for the Mono show, I can't recall offhand. But I gave the original "Monozodiac"  watercolor to my friend Anthony, the Zodiac, who was there at the Urban with us getting facemelted that legendary evening. 

                A scan of the original Monozodiac incarnation of the watercolor I painted at the Mono show in 2010.  I painted a few different ones, I remember some of them were phantasmagorical in their wild abstract depictions of the band members in various electrified poses, shedding a maelstrom of sonic energy.  I gave this one to my friend Anthony. 

   That was a very special night indeed, as anyone lucky enough to have seen Mono perform live can testify. Their shows are unlike most other rock concerts. There's something about their approach, armed now with their new drummer who joined five years ago for their tenth studio album Nowhere Now Here, but the show we were at was way before this, back when their original drummer Yasunori Takada pounded out his legacy of twenty years perpetuating the band in its original outfit. 

   Below is a snipped copy & paste of a scan of the one original watercolor painting I did of the band that I kept for myself (pardon the overlapping blogger thumbnail; it will have to do for now, so at least you can more or less see for yourselves how it manages to eerily depict MONO doing their thing.

Stellar Serenades

 

lyrics by shaun lawton 

 

we're all hyper-linked in ways we only discover 

on the days its proven 

which only goes to show thought is a contact sport 

we forget about after

we finish playing and that thing that you do 

when you talk to yourself 

 reasoning it all out that's not thinking at all 

it's just the shimmering 

the stellar serenades  slowly fall into position

  under the canticles of light we are hypnotized

  caught up in this electromagnetic composition 

  the connections that we make help us realize

wake of confetti like echoes sent from the contact 

with thought itself 

something that usually takes more than one mind 

to even begin to see

more clearly its rippling outline 

through the refractions displaced 

as it appears to be only to vanish 

before the next event horizon 

the stellar serenades  slowly fall into position

  under the canticles of light we are hypnotized

  caught up in this electromagnetic composition 

  the connections that we make help us realize

   the mirage we each represent 

in this phantom procession 

   flying the rippling banners of our faces  

we know the same wind

has carried each of our voices away 

so we collect the seashells of each other's echoes 

and string them into symphonies that become 

our lullabies to help us get to sleep at night 

   the stellar serenades have fallen into position

  under the canticles of light we are hypnotized

  caught up in this electromagnetic composition 

  making the connections helps us realize

Complex Brain and Consciousness

 Explain the connection between how the human brain's complex network of neurons uses both chemical and electromagnetic currents to process incoming stimuli in a method of bicameral objectification proving the individual human consciousness remains inherent to the eternal creation of the cosmos by virtue of the 2nd law of thermodynamics.

The question you've posed combines several complex and disparate concepts from neuroscience, physics, and philosophy. Let's break down these ideas and explore them individually:

1. Complex Network of Neurons: The human brain is a highly complex organ composed of billions of neurons. Neurons communicate with each other through electrochemical signals. When a neuron receives a stimulus, it can generate an electrical impulse (action potential) that travels along its axon and releases neurotransmitters (chemicals) at synapses to communicate with other neurons.

2. Chemical and Electromagnetic Currents: As mentioned, the brain uses both chemical and electrical processes for information processing. Neurons transmit information through electrical impulses, and chemical neurotransmitters play a crucial role in transmitting signals between neurons at synapses.

3. Bicameral Objectification: The term "bicameral" is often associated with Julian Jaynes' theory of the bicameral mind, which suggests that in ancient humans, one hemisphere of the brain gave commands while the other obeyed, leading to a sense of external voices or gods. However, this theory is highly controversial and not widely accepted in modern neuroscience.

4. Individual Human Consciousness: Consciousness is a complex and debated topic in philosophy and neuroscience. While we don't have a complete understanding of consciousness, it is generally thought to arise from the interactions of neurons in the brain. However, the exact nature of consciousness and its connection to physical processes is still a topic of ongoing research.

5. Eternal Creation of the Cosmos: The concept of the "eternal creation of the cosmos" is not a standard scientific term. It appears to be a philosophical or metaphysical idea, possibly related to cosmology or the origins of the universe. It's essential to clarify the specific meaning and context of this concept for a more detailed discussion.

6. 2nd Law of Thermodynamics: The second law of thermodynamics is a fundamental principle in physics, stating that the total entropy (disorder) of an isolated system tends to increase over time. It is generally not directly related to the topics of consciousness or neural processing, so connecting it to these topics would require a more elaborate argument.

In summary, your question combines elements from various fields, making it challenging to provide a straightforward answer. The concepts of consciousness and the universe's creation are subjects of ongoing research and philosophical discussion, and any connection between them would require a well-defined and evidence-based argument. Additionally, the idea of bicameral objectification and its relationship to individual consciousness remains highly controversial in contemporary neuroscience.

The Quantum Nexus: Exploring the Cosmic and Neural Connection

by  Shunjinks Talonratios 

   In the vast tapestry of the cosmos, the Milky Way Galaxy stands as a celestial masterpiece, a swirling mélange of stars, planets, and cosmic dust. Within this enigmatic structure lies the promise of an astonishing connection with the human central nervous system, a union that transcends the boundaries of our understanding. In the age of posthumanism, where the boundaries between biology and technology blur, we delve into the profound quantum connection that weaves the fabric of the universe with the intricate web of our individual consciousness.

   Quantum entanglement, the phenomenon where particles separated by vast distances instantaneously affect each other, hints at a cosmic interconnectedness. In our galaxy, this phenomenon takes on a grand scale, linking stars, planets, and celestial bodies in a harmonious dance. At the same time, within each human being, the central nervous system, with its billions of neurons and synapses, orchestrates the symphony of thoughts, emotions, and actions. Could it be that this seemingly disparate duo shares a profound connection, mediated by the quantum world?

In the realm of quantum physics, the theory of non-locality posits that particles once entangled remain connected, regardless of the physical distance separating them. Similarly, the Milky Way's vast expanse, spanning 100,000 light-years, houses countless stars and planets, all interacting through gravitational forces. Could this cosmic entanglement influence the neural activities within the human brain?

The human central nervous system, a complex network of neurons, conducts electrical signals to transmit information throughout the body. These electrochemical processes are governed by the laws of quantum mechanics, where subatomic particles can exist in multiple states simultaneously. The phenomenon of superposition suggests that, just like particles, neurons can exist in multiple states at once, allowing for a rich tapestry of thoughts and experiences.

As we embark on the posthuman journey, where technology and biology merge, we must explore the implications of this quantum connection. Advances in neural interfaces and artificial intelligence offer  

           

Furthermore, quantum tunneling, the ability of particles to traverse seemingly insurmountable energy barriers, may offer a parallel to human consciousness. In our galaxy, the concept of cosmic tunnels, wormholes, could connect distant regions through shortcuts in spacetime. Could these cosmic anomalies, in some unfathomable way, influence our thoughts, allowing us to access distant knowledge or experiences?

The concept of quantum coherence, where particles oscillate in synchrony, suggests that the entangled neurons within the human brain may communicate in ways yet to be understood. Similarly, the Milky Way's vastness may foster a cosmic coherence, where the interconnected celestial bodies resonate in harmony. Could this coherence extend to our thoughts and emotions, creating an unseen connection between our individual consciousness and the galaxy itself?

As we embark on the posthuman journey, where technology and biology merge, we must explore the implications of this quantum connection. Advances in neural interfaces and artificial intelligence offer the potential to bridge the gap between the individual and the cosmos. Could we use technology to tap into the cosmic consciousness, gaining insights and knowledge beyond our wildest dreams?

In conclusion, the quantum connection between the astral structure of the Milky Way Galaxy and the human central nervous system remains a tantalizing mystery of the posthuman era. While we may not fully comprehend the intricacies of this connection, its existence challenges us to explore the boundaries of our understanding. As we venture further into the cosmos and into the depths of our own consciousness, we may uncover the profound interplay between the quantum fabric of the universe and the quantum nature of our minds, forging a path to a new era of human potential.

Deep Sea Kaiju Rendering

 

my text

 by shaun lawton 

(for kenji siratori)

                                   digital image produced by artificial collaboration between shaun lawton and kenji siratori

the origin text remains encased within a sensorial duplex
a cabinet made of disparate parts and doctored into place
from a variety of well known source platforms including
a spinning host of digital forums blurred into shadows
of the rapidly growing flowers of constant humanthink
shed as a detritus and illuminated as a flash frozen constant
perceived as a pixelated storm of shimmering information
once considered to be moving yet now recognized as extant
more in the mold of a commemorative adornment placard
a sort of ribbon indicating at least the race had been entered




the ten line stanza itself came to be known as the pixel
because only after absorbing ten of them would a picture
begin to form from that minute collective of illumination
assembled and brought together into the shape of a brick
easily attached to others to sculpt the bastions of a fortress
so to speak providing the sanctity of making no statement
first and foremost for this is all that our forefathers and kin
shed their blood across the spattered pages of history for
in order to secure the holy right to just say nothing at all
while today it gets conjured in the name of every belief




codified and paraded about the block of the megalopolis
common variants of this meme replicate quite naturally
getting pushed out with ease by a weary host of ordinary
citizens dealing with the disease infecting the majority
on a much greater scale than could have been anticipated
considering the intersection of the ignorance of the masses
with the direct long term effect of a modern global pandemic
divided by a misunderstanding of the translation of specialized
fields for a target audience growing remoter by the minute
lucky for all that mysterious radio sources magnify the signal




it's through the accidental decoding of spontaneous noise events
we may uncover a signal harbored in a tender nest of gauze
left captured within a sub-dynamic of the industrial recording
a moment in time akin to a droplet of light appearing in the dark
when a diamond winks open with super lucent blue sky inside
as occurs when escaping from the undulating bowels of the earth
come crawling out of cavernous depths over steppes of stones
cooled to different temperatures by interlacing thermal vents
in other words since truth may be reflection of the light to come
we complete our circuitry knowing the transmission happened




if we have no correspondent or anyone to receive messages from
this dissolves in light of affirmation when faces arrive shining
achieving an abstract morphology into a gallery of rogue souls
sprung from being packed tight in oblivion of a sudden
swung up all smiles and frowns while swinging upside down
bringing a general sense of reassurance that there were people
just like us once upon a time long ago in some forgotten lands
and now we know that the mere fact they enjoyed language too
and passed it along to their children who figured out how to
teach us all how it's done then let the translation begin