Luminoscopes

Inner Vision

This series of installations invites visitors to a paradoxical experience: looking with their eyes closed.

The work combines light, sound and frequencies, creating a dense sensory field in which pulsating light and low-frequency sounds interact and reinforce one another. With their eyes closed, participants are immersed in a multidimensional inner space, marked by the appearance of luminous forms and colourful movements.

Participants report recurring visions: luminous kaleidoscopes, coloured spirals, tunnels of light. These phenomena are not merely figments of the imagination, but evidence of an activation of the visual system independent of any external image, as described in research on phosphenes and rhythmic stimulation of the visual cortex.

Even with the eyes closed, the light remains active. It passes through the tissues and stimulates the retina, engaging the visual system without the formation of conscious images.

This stimulation is associated with the activation of certain brain areas involved in visual perception and the regulation of states of consciousness, as explored by contemporary neuroscience research. In this context, luminous forms, geometric structures or coloured movements may appear, independent of any external image.

The light pulses used, which are close to certain low frequencies (around 3–4 hertz), are often associated with brain patterns conducive to states of inner perception, similar to the hypnagogic state—that moment of transition between wakefulness and sleep when shapes, colours or moving patterns may appear spontaneously. At these rhythms, a form of attunement may set in, as the brain resonates with the proposed pulses. These rhythms may accompany a transition to so-called theta states, observed in certain phases of deep meditation, opening up a space conducive to more diffuse, broader or more subtle forms of perception.

In this context, the emergence of vibrant colours, geometric structures or expanded perceptions is not a sought-after effect, but rather the opening of another register of experience, as evidenced by numerous user reports.

Luminoscope is available in three formats. Each offers a distinct sense of presence through its spatial configuration and the positioning of the body.

The screen (400 × 400 cm): This configuration is frequently associated with video works, particularly the second phase of the Focus series. The participant stands facing a monumental luminous surface. This frontal orientation creates a contemplative relationship in which the work imposes itself as a living tableau. The seated posture encourages vigilant and sustained attention, a continuous dialogue between the gaze and the rhythm of the light. This format lends itself to a shared experience, with several people moving within the same visual field, whilst retaining an intimate and singular quality of perception.

The helmet (diameter 100 cm): the participant sits with their head enveloped by an individual luminous dome. This intimate configuration eliminates any reference to the external environment. The comfortable position induces a deep physical relaxation, conducive to openness. Sensory isolation amplifies inner reflection: the experience becomes strictly personal, a face-to-face encounter with one’s own visions.

The dome (660 cm in diameter): participants lie in a circle, their heads facing the centre, beneath an all-encompassing luminous vault. This architecture creates a state of total immersion in which the light seems to emanate from the space itself. The collective star-shaped arrangement generates a shared field: each person experiences their own inner journey whilst participating in a collective breath. The dome fully embodies the collective dimension of metasynergy.

From the meditative intimacy of the headset to the shared immersion of the dome, each format reveals a different facet of the work and engages the body and consciousness in complementary ways.

Depending on the configurations and protocols proposed, attention can be directed towards different areas of bodily resonance. Some favour concentration in the head, whilst others invite one to expand the area of diffuse attention to the chest or abdominal region. These orientations act as supports for attention, discussed in the chapter devoted to energy exploration.