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3D Fractals, Virtual Reality, and Psychedelics

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Naut

Naut

Rising Star
So I've been exploring the 3-dimensional fractal space through programs such as Mandelbulb 3D and Incendia. The mathematically complex nature of this type of software produces some profound results. I would reckon that one of the most ubiquitous terms used to describe hyperspace and various levels of psychedelic visions would be "fractal." There seems to be a link here and I believe this ties very deeply to an idea that Terence Mckenna explained in his book The Archaic Revival. Basically, he made a prediction that possibly through computers we would enter Hyperspace. He was also very intrigued by Virtual Reality and it's capabilities (and that was preceding the 21st century). If you research the advancement of contemporary VR technology (and computers in general) and its capabilities it's actually quite impressive. I have used the Oculus Rift DK2 and Gear VR and all I have to say is wow, you gotta try it. Plus I'd imagine within decades from now it'll be immensely more powerful when it comes to satisfying multiple senses of perception. Anyways bringing this back to 3D fractals, people have begun to create simulations in VR.
Here's a 360 degree video that you can spin around in through YouTube.

My question to you is: Do you think we may possibly be tapping into the Hyperspace that humans experience through psychedelics via various mediums of technology: computers, visual software, Virtual Reality, etc?
 
The fractal nature of Hyperspace is probably a reflection of the fractal and recursive nature of the information processing networks in the brain, which in turn are isomorphic to similar structures that exist at much smaller, and much greater, scales.

Hyperspace isn't the only 'dimension' that's fractal, our own perceived universe is stunningly self-similar across scales, Hyperspace is just more 'in-your-face' about it's fractal character.

Great video by the way ;)

Blessings
~ND
 
Interesting Nathanieldread, "as above so below"

Naut, is that similar to what you see when in hyperspace? or just before you breakthrough?
 
Terence was big on the idea that if we could build a sufficient representation of hyperspace into cyberspace, it would become a landing zone for "the other" and open up into the full mystery. I've always dug that idea, and I think it's really cool that our tech is drawing us ever closer to having the ability to test the hypothesis. 8)
 
dreamer042 said:
Terence was big on the idea that if we could build a sufficient representation of hyperspace into cyberspace, it would become a landing zone for "the other" and open up into the full mystery. I've always dug that idea, and I think it's really cool that our tech is drawing us ever closer to having the ability to test the hypothesis. 8)
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I'm not sure how much I buy the idea that we could ever replicate hyperspace in any kind of terrestrial medium. The emotional component of the experience is so integral, I feel like, as is the case with most psychedelic visualizers, the impact would be lost and it would end up feeling kind of hollow.

The only model for Hyperspace may be Hyperspace itself.

Who knows though. Terrence believed a lot of pretty wacky things, but he may have been onto something.

Blessings
~ND
 
I guess at one point we may be able to build computer systems that rival the human brain in terms of complexity... In which case, such a complex system could develop into the aforementioned "full mystery" just as the human brain has. In my opinion it's still some time away though.

That said, at that point we'll probably have much better brain-computer interfaces than audiovisual VR.
 
How truly fractal is hyperspace really? Our computers certainly generate fractal images that are mathematically and genuinely fractal. The things that I see in hyperspace do not reflect the symmetrical computer generated images with which we are all familiar. The geometrical patterns are certainly fractal-like, but IME I feel that many of the things I see are referential, and standalone (zoom in/zoom out, and you won't find the same pattern over and over again). I think that "fractal philosophies" will tend to serve one well in hyperspace, but I wouldn't be so quick to assume that hyperspace is mathematically fractal. The patterns and geometries can be heavily mathematical in advanced ways: geometries that form interlocking tessilations, geometric multidimensionality, etc...If I'm looking to form an accurate representation of hyperspace through the computer, the primary goal would be working artistically with multidimensionality, not fractals.
 
Emptiness said:
Interesting Nathanieldread, "as above so below"
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I'd say it's more: "as outside, so inside," but the idea is similar.

Global said:
How truly fractal is hyperspace really? Our computers certainly generate fractal images that are mathematically and genuinely fractal. The things that I see in hyperspace do not reflect the symmetrical computer generated images with which we are all familiar. The geometrical patterns are certainly fractal-like, but IME I feel that many of the things I see are referential, and standalone (zoom in/zoom out, and you won't find the same pattern over and over again). I think that "fractal philosophies" will tend to serve one well in hyperspace, but I wouldn't be so quick to assume that hyperspace is mathematically fractal. The patterns and geometries can be heavily mathematical in advanced ways: geometries that form interlocking tessilations, geometric multidimensionality, etc...If I'm looking to form an accurate representation of hyperspace through the computer, the primary goal would be working artistically with multidimensionality, not fractals.
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I'm not sure what 'your' hyperspace looks like, but fractal patterns are a recurring theme in all my entheogenic travels. It's not usually as blatantly obvious as zooming around the Mandelbrot set, but it can feel similar.

My analogy is like being in a forest. If you weren't thinking about fractals, you probably wouldn't notice them, but once you start to see it, you can't really 'unsee' it, and suddenly all the trees have an obvious fractal structure, the distribution of tree trunks has a fractal structure, etc.

I've found hyperspace to be a little like that.

That's just my brain though, your's may be completely different. Maybe I just spend too much time thinking about fractals, so that's what my brain gives me.

Blessings
~ND
 
I know exactly what you mean. I was actually thinking of the "fractal" patterns in nature as I was typing up my last post. I think our hyperspaces sound rather similar, as well as our perception of the woods. Perhaps nature isn't quite so mathematically fractal as we tend to think of it. I feel like hyperspace and nature are conceptually fractal, but not so much mathematically. I can see the fractalish patterns in the bark, and I understand the fractal distribution of the branches, as well as a fractal grouping with other trees, but I am still somehow a little less than convinced.
 
I've been thinking about it, and I think that framing things in terms of holograms is more apropos to describing the geometries of hyperspace. Fractals are kind of linked to holography in terms of being able to find parts of the pattern within other parts. Especially at the level where multidimensionality comes into play, I see holograms as playing the predominant geometric role.
 
Global said:
I've been thinking about it, and I think that framing things in terms of holograms is more apropos to describing the geometries of hyperspace. Fractals are kind of linked to holography in terms of being able to find parts of the pattern within other parts. Especially at the level where multidimensionality comes into play, I see holograms as playing the predominant geometric role.
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The whole idea of arranging information in a low-dimensional space so that it can be visualized as a higher dimensional space is a very interesting one, and it may have ramifications for this universe as well as Hyperspace. I'm not sure I have a lot to add to that, beyond that I like where your train of thought is going :d

Blessings
~ND
 
Global said:
How truly fractal is hyperspace really? Our computers certainly generate fractal images that are mathematically and genuinely fractal. The things that I see in hyperspace do not reflect the symmetrical computer generated images with which we are all familiar. The geometrical patterns are certainly fractal-like, but IME I feel that many of the things I see are referential, and standalone (zoom in/zoom out, and you won't find the same pattern over and over again). I think that "fractal philosophies" will tend to serve one well in hyperspace, but I wouldn't be so quick to assume that hyperspace is mathematically fractal. The patterns and geometries can be heavily mathematical in advanced ways: geometries that form interlocking tessilations, geometric multidimensionality, etc...If I'm looking to form an accurate representation of hyperspace through the computer, the primary goal would be working artistically with multidimensionality, not fractals.
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I agree. When im in the middle of an intense DMT experience, visually there's very little in the way of the experience being fractal. It's fractal insofar as it being infinite/never-ending and self-same in certain aspects, but ime, that's where it stops for me. The experience is hugely multidimensional and somewhat penrose-triangle'esque in it's presentation in certain moments; much of it's various aspects depending on which angle you take visually, with each successive moment something unfolding/enfolding/transforming into something else, completely out of the form it was in previously.

But visually, there's alot more to it than even that ime. Oscillations, vibratory qualities, the corresponding hues of light. All this plays in too. But then even all those things still paint a very limited scope imo.
 
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