ONIRONAUTICA

“Onironautica,” derived from the Greek words 'Ὄνειρος' (dream) and 'ναύτης' (sailor), embodies the art of exploring dreams. This project strives to portray 'lucid dreams,' in which dreamers navigate their subconscious with conscious awareness.

“Onironautica,” originating from the Greek words 'Ὄνειρος' (dream) and 'ναύτης' (sailor), encapsulates the art of delving into dreams. This project aims to depict 'lucid dreams,' where dreamers navigate their subconscious with conscious awareness. The term 'lucid dream' was introduced by Dutch psychiatrist Frederik van Eeden in 1913, marking a pivotal moment in dream research. His meticulous documentation of significant dreams in a diary ignited cross-disciplinary inquiries. Drawing inspiration from van Eeden's pioneering spirit, I embarked on a photographic expedition to capture the essence of lucid dreams, aiming to preserve nuances—details, sensations, memories, and visions—within heightened dream consciousness. Additionally, I've been experimenting with stimulating dream activity through infusions of mugwort, exploring the effects of galantamine and vitamin B, and testing several techniques such as the mnemonic induction of lucid dreams and WBTB. My objective extended beyond artistic representation; it embraced an analytical and exploratory dimension. I sought to unravel the mechanisms governing the enigmatic realm of dreams, transcending the boundaries of known reality. In an era marked by AI advancements, 'Onironautica' serves as a conduit for an introspective journey into my psyche, concurrently engaging with AI's creative capabilities. By meticulously emulating a creative process akin to AI platforms like Midjourney, DALL-E, and OpenAI—which craft scenarios from the void—'Onironautica' evolved into an experimental ground to assess my creative prowess. This voyage into both consciousness and the unconscious unraveled the intricate interplay between human imagination and AI's capacities. Navigating this journey in the AI age, I find inspiration in the potential both humans and machines bring to the creative realm, reminding us of the power of human creativity. Images serve as linchpins in dreamlike and real dimensions. The dream realm often showcases a unique disorder characteristic of the psyche—a realm where the "normal course of events" gives way to inner and emotional movements defying logic. A dream serves as a passage into the self, a reflection of psychological, logical, or cognitive challenges. It acts as a coping mechanism or a nonsensical journey detached from reality, remaining inscrutable. Regardless of a dream's nature, it's inextricable from its imaginative manifestation, which is the main core of any photographic exploration.