Introduction
Project Numaverse involves a series of investigations into the deeper realms of the mind. My current focus is on the hypnagogic state, which is the transitional phase between wakefulness and sleep. Historically, renowned artists and inventors, including Salvador Dali and Thomas Edison, have utilized this state as a source of creative inspiration. In a similar vein, I am delving into this state to uncover creative insights, past memories, visions, and more.
Process
The process requires entering a hyper-calm state, either sitting or lying down, using techniques such as body scanning and focusing on one's breath. Over the years, I have trained myself to then momentarily "dip" into a sleep stage and extract an image from the subconscious. Most of the time, these images are highly immersive. The goal is not to actively visualize or force an image, but to allow it to surface naturally. Once I obtain the image, I verbally describe it into the microphone of a headset, which then feeds it into the Numaverse Engine.
Currently, this engine translates voice into text and prompts an image-generation model to create a corresponding visual using a set style. Alternatively the generated image is printed in real-time while displaying the prompt on-screen. (an example setup is shown in the image below).
After the session, which typically results in multiple images, these visuals are analyzed to determine connections to real-world events.
Example setup of Numaverse
This is an ongoing project and the images from the different phases (rather disorganised at this stage) of the project and their connections can be found in the Numaverse collection.
Exhibition
The first phase of the project concluded in an exhibition at the Museum of the Future in Dubai. The artwork created in real-time was a 3D generative art called the Dreamcatcher. Further details on the exhibiton can be found here: