🍄 The Geometry of Thought

From sacred geometry to quantum theory, shapes hold the power to affect our mental and emotional states, as well as the way we process information.

Oct 04, 2024

🍄 AudioDose Alice on Sonic Mushrooms: Listen to Knowing
🎧 Alice podcasts
📘 Alice books

A special story: STRING THEORY, THE BRAIN & THE MAGICAL MUSHROOM

"Intelligence is awareness of the environment and the ability to predict change before it occurs. I believe that the archetype of the structure of the mushroom mycelium follows the archetype that we see in String Theory for the organization of the universe. And that these are just different orders of magnitude of the same archetype, the same model that’s being replicated in nature on every expanding sphere. Also, when you look at the photographs of dark matter, it’s very mycelia-like, which looks like neurons in the brain.”—Paul Stamets, Mycologist, ALICE interview 2002

Hello, we’re Alice and we are always in a state of wander. Shapes interact with energy, symbolism, and perception, influencing cognitive states and deeper layers of awareness. Whether through ancient principles of sacred geometry, modern quantum theories, or the architecture of spiritual spaces, shapes are seen as integral to the way humans experience and engage with consciousness, both individually and collectively.

Sacred Geometry and Universal Patterns

Sacred geometry refers to geometric shapes that have symbolic meanings and are believed to represent universal patterns found in nature and the cosmos. These shapes, like the circle, triangle, and spiral, are seen as visual representations of fundamental aspects of reality. They are thought to resonate with the human psyche, helping to align consciousness with universal order and balance. The Flower of Life, a complex geometric pattern, is believed to contain the fundamental forms of space and time, representing the interconnectedness of all life.

The architecture of spiritual spaces — such as churches, temples, and sacred sites — often incorporates specific geometric designs to influence the consciousness of those within. These spaces are intentionally designed to evoke transcendence, focus, and connection to higher states of awareness. Gothic cathedrals often use pointed arches and ribbed vaults to draw the eye upward, symbolizing a connection to the divine and facilitating states of contemplation and spiritual reflection.

Thoughtforms, Symbolism and Archetypes

Carl Jung, the renowned psychologist, suggested that shapes play a role in representing archetypes — universal symbols that exist in the collective unconscious of humanity. These archetypal forms, such as the mandala, are used in spiritual practices and meditation to help access deeper levels of consciousness. By focusing on these shapes, individuals can connect with inner states of awareness, balance, and self-integration. Mandalas, which consist of intricate geometric patterns, are used in meditation to promote focus, balance, and a connection to deeper layers of consciousness.

Thought Forms, A Record of Clairvoyant Investigation is a seminal occult book compiled by the leaders of the Theosophical Society, Annie Besant and C. W. Leadbeater. It was originally published in 1905 in London. According to the teachings of Theosophy, thoughts and emotions create distinctive patterns of color and form in the human aura — visible only to those who are gifted with a sufficient degree of clairvoyance and can see beyond our normal perceptions. Besant and Leadbeater dictated their clairvoyant "thought-forms" to a group of friends who then created the 58 magnificent illustrations contained in the book. This book was a major influence on the artists Hilma Af Klint and Wassily Kandinsky among many others but has long been overlooked as a foundational pillar in art history.

Biogeometry, vibrational Influence on consciousness

Shapes can influence the vibrational frequencies around them. Certain geometric forms are thought to resonate at specific frequencies that can impact the energetic fields in and around the body. This is aligned with the idea that consciousness itself may operate at a vibrational level. According to some theories, the way a shape interacts with the surrounding energy can either amplify or dampen specific mental or emotional states.

BioGeometry is a science that deals with the Energy of Shape; it uses shapes, colours, motion, orientation, and sound to produce a vibrational quality that balances energy fields. BioGeometrical shapes are two or three-dimensional shapes specially designed to interact with the earth’s energy fields to produce balancing effects on multiple levels on biological systems. They were developed and patented by Dr. Ibrahim F. Karim, D.Sc. in Cairo, Egypt, during research since 1968. The pyramid shape is often associated with focusing and amplifying energy. People have reported heightened states of consciousness and clarity when meditating inside or near pyramidal structures.

Quantum and Morphogenetic Fields

Some modern theories, like Rupert Sheldrake's morphogenetic fields or the Fisher Information Flux, suggest that the universe is structured by informational fields that govern the formation of patterns in nature and consciousness. Shapes, through their geometric arrangements, may act as conduits or templates for how information is organized in these fields, potentially influencing the behavior of energy and matter, including thought patterns. Certain shapes might serve as attractors in a complex system, affecting how energy flows through a system, which in turn could have an impact on consciousness and mental states.

Perception and Cognitive Framing

The human brain processes shapes quickly and efficiently, often associating certain shapes with particular emotions, meanings, or ideas. This is why visual stimuli, including shapes, can have a powerful effect on consciousness and cognition. The repetition and presence of particular forms in art, architecture, and nature can evoke feelings of harmony, peace, or dynamism. Circular shapes are often associated with wholeness, unity, and inclusiveness, while sharp, angular shapes may evoke a sense of tension or alertness. These associations impact our mental state and consciousness.

Giulio Tononi’s theory Integrated Information says consciousness has shapes because he believes that the way information is connected and organized in our brain can be thought of like a shape. Just as different objects have different shapes depending on how their parts fit together, different experiences in our mind create different "shapes" of consciousness based on how the information in our brain is put together. For example, the shape of your consciousness when you're happy might look different from the shape of your consciousness when you're sad, because the information in your brain is organized differently in each of these states. So, in simple terms, the "shapes" of consciousness represent the unique way information is structured in our minds during different experiences.

Patterns of Information Integration: The "shapes" in consciousness refer to the specific ways in which different pieces of information are integrated across the brain’s network. While Tononi’s theory focuses more on the structure and organization of this information, the underlying neural activity — which includes frequencies and vibrations — could play a role in shaping these patterns. In simple terms, while Tononi’s shapes of consciousness are about the way information is organized in the brain, frequencies and vibrations are part of the brain’s activity that might influence how these shapes form.

We all have the same equipment: two ears

Marshall McLuhan spoke of "acoustic space" as a space perceived through hearing rather than sight. He described it as a more immersive, 360-degree experience, since humans can hear not only in front of them but also behind, around corners, and even from behind their heads. Our sense of hearing extends peripherally in an almost infinite manner. McLuhan was fascinated by this concept, believing that understanding acoustic perception could unlock an entirely new way of perceiving
the world.

Psychoacoustics and Resonant Forms

Shapes also have an influence on acoustics, and sound plays a significant role in consciousness. The resonance of sound waves within specific shapes (like domes, pyramids, and spirals) can produce unique auditory experiences that affect brainwaves and states of consciousness. The design of certain structures amplifies or focuses sound, potentially altering mental and emotional states. Sound healing instruments such as crystal bowls and gongs are often crafted in specific geometric forms to enhance resonance and influence consciousness through auditory vibrations.

For every sound there is a corresponding shape or pattern that we can see

Swiss doctor Hans Jenny conducted extraordinary experiments on the effects of sound vibrations on different forms of matter. He used a variety of substances, including liquids of varying viscosities, fine powders like lycopodium, and magnetic materials. Jenny placed these materials on vibrating plates and exposed them to different sounds. His experiments, captured on film, reveal how chaotic piles of particles gradually organize into stable, complex patterns under the influence of sound. These intricate sonic patterns closely resemble those found in nature. Witnessing this can help us realize how the formation of natural structures can be understood through sound.

Sound can be seen as a wave, a pulse, a form.
In the center of the pulse there is silence.

"There’s pulse which leads to silence, or I say that sound has three forms. It has wave, pulse, and form. And, when you listen to a sound, you have a geometric form that you don’t see but it’s there. Through Hans Jenny’s work you can see it; it has a wave, we normally think of it going out on a wave, and then together they create a pulse, and in the center of the pulse is silence. Tuning forks are just so archetypal, and they’re full of modern archetype. The way I use them is in several different ways, but these particular forks are used in relationship, so this is C and this is a G. And you can see they’re like two different forks. So think of them as two different people. And they want to come together and teach you something. So one way to use them is to have these tuning forks come together. So I actually tap them on my knees and I put them to my ear like this, and what happens is, I begin to integrate the two and the one in the middle. So the two have to resolve in the one. And the C and the G are especially potent because they were considered the interval of absolute harmony.”—Dr. John Beaulieu, composer, naturopathic doctor, founder BioSonics Sound Healing, ALICE interview 2002

Pure geometric bija sounds float into the supraconscious mind. These sounds speak directly to the geometric pattern of the body.

"Every sound is a geometric pattern, and every geometric pattern is a thought in your supraconcious mind. That we just have to know that from the beginning, and every geometric thought will allow your body to align to it. And when the bija mantras are really seed sounds; if you look at pictures of chakras, they’re little lotus petals with little petals around the chakra, and each petal has a sound assigned to it. A little vowel or consonant and that’s a geometric pattern when you pronounce that sound. So the bijas really are meant to be sounds that float in your supraconscious mind. As they float there, as you pronounce them, they are a form that channel energy through them to balance that chakra.”—Dr. John Beaulieu

What Else We Are Wandering

Generating molecules: Reshaping the world, one protein at a time. BioGeometry specializes in developing generative AI foundation models for protein design and optimization.

Mathematical Structures: The dappled starlight and swirling clouds of Vincent van Gogh’s “The Starry Night” are thought to reflect the artist’s tumultuous state of mind when he painted the work in 1889. Now, a new analysis by physicists based in China and France suggests the artist had a deep, intuitive understanding of the mathematical structure of turbulent flow. As a common natural phenomenon observed in fluids — moving water, ocean currents, blood flow, billowing storm clouds and plumes of smoke — turbulent flow is chaotic, as larger swirls or eddies, form and break down into smaller ones.

Inside the Unconscious Brain: Scientists Reveal Hidden Geometry of Consciousness: Researchers at the University of Michigan have employed propofol to investigate how the thalamus and cortex interact, revealing mechanisms fundamental to consciousness.

Geophilia architecture is designed for ultimate wellbeing in the vital, spiritual, and intellectual level.

Craving more?

📘 Alice in Futureland books
🎧 Alice in Futureland podcasts