Psychedelia 3
Acrylic on canvas
13" X 13"

It is not clear how phosphenes originate in our visual systems. Perhaps the best current theory points out that our eyes and brains are living things, and thus always active. This activity generates "noise." Stuff going on no matter what. In the absence of external stimulation, spontaneous illusions become obvious, and appear to us in the form of visual illusions, or hallucinations. They appear as moving and flickering lights, and even broad areas of color. They do not appear random, like the "snow" that used to appear on analog TV channels when nothing was being broadcast, but more "chaotic." Perhaps it is our brains attempting to make sense out of non-sense.

Psychologists studying psychedelic experiences identify five "levels" of experience, which vary from what people call a "mild buzz" to total loss of visual connection with reality. At about level three, phosphenes begin to appear three dimensional. In Psychedelia 3 the visual field is dominated by a warm-colored linear phosphene that appears to float over a blue background. Greenish fog patches appear to float at an intermediate level.