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Critical ParanoiaAlthough practiced by Leonardo Da Vinci hundreds of years ago, the surrealists coined the term Critical Paranoia. They also clarified its meaning and utilized it in a more irrational manner. It "may be considered one of Surrealism's contributions to modern artistic thinking and interpretation. I would argue that Surrealism is more of a method and means of thought than it is en entity to be understood. Critical Paranoia should then be considered a primary exercise in attaining the, 'pinnacled depths of that which is Surreal.'" Critical Paranoia, or how to decisively split your vision in new directions..Salvador Dali developed the concept of Critical Paranoia for establishing a creative state of self-induced psychosis. Andre Breton often maligned him for its uses, a sign of its relative importance and usefulness. Consider the process akin to forcing a waking dream, a conscious transformation led by paranoid scrutiny of what presents itself in the surroundings. The simplest version, hardly critical, hardly paranoid, begins with the child's game of staring into banks of clouds, looking for the chariot riders, the giants and other fantasms of humidity. Elementary exercises can also be practiced through prolonged staring at ink blots, scribble drawings and the array of optical illusions that sell themselves in one of many new-age, self-help manuals designed to prove that you are on your way to a happier existence. Those cracks in the sidewalk,
they look like an outline of the west coast of Mexico. More advanced practitioners will find the intricacies of television static a delight to behold. The onset of migraine headaches a resounding flourish. Exercise 1: 'See The Face.' This postcard of African tribesmen
by their huts holds a face first discovered by Dali. He later used a likeness
of the face in one of his paintings. The image on the left shows the postcard
under normal circumstances. The image one the right is a scaled-down version
rotated 90* clockwise. Can you see the face of a pirate? The right image has been contrast-enhanced to better show the profile. Exercise 2: Focused concentration until the bathroom floor rises to your occasion. Find a bathroom with tile
floors and subdued fluorescent lighting. A few more samples Here are some of Dali's physical
manifestations of imagery witnessed under the influence of Critical Paranoia. |
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