Qualia

The subjective feeling of being conscious is called "qualia". It is ineffable, impossible to fully-describe or share with anyone outside of your own head. Research using brain imaging reveals fractal patterns associated with states of consciousness. I am curious why such patterns arise in a self-aware brain.

There are many factors that determine the unique feeling of being alive from moment to moment. Likewise, there are many parameters used to generate the individual images in this series. These parameters compound complexity to generate many states that fall between order and chaos.

Like the recursive formation of thoughts, branching growth can percolate into outgrowths: individual expressions. These strange growths express the imperfect nature of mind. They pour themselves into the cavities between thoughts and grow unexpectedly.

We have exposed three features for this drop: The "Canvas" (dark vs. light background), the "Form" (direction and multiplicity of the overall shape), and "Serotonin Boost" (a rarity that adds vibrancy).