Drugs
September 3, 2012
Marijuana (credit: Bryan Lewis Saunders)
“After experiencing drastic changes in my environment, I looked for other experiences that might profoundly affect my perception of the self. So I devised another experiment where everyday I took a different drug and drew myself under the influence.
“Within weeks I became lethargic and suffered mild brain damage. I am still conducting this experiment but over greater lapses of time. I only take drugs that are given to me.”
Self-drawings under different drugs
Based on 2 true stories, the video was created with over 3,000 self-portraits. At times 29 images per second flash on the screen. Faster than can be physically perceived. As in the story, I used them so actual pieces of my life would once again flash before my eyes almost burning them, but not in an animated cartoon like way. Because the story takes place in Hell, I mostly selected self-portraits with flames and devil horns and the ones representing pain and general anxiety. I also used some of the illustrated moments from the times when the events occurred as well as a few drawn from memory. I don’t use cocaine. It is an ironic statement at the end used to convey the power of addiction. — Bryan Lewis Saunders
Viewer warnng: explicit language
Video for the title track of the LP, “Near Death Experience” on the French label Erratum. Vocals by Bryan Lewis Saunders. Music by Spastic Dementia. (All guitar sounds were made with Marcelo Aguirre’s mouth).
Comments (27)
by Scot Sier
Another reason why alternative holistic therapies get a bad rap. Putting the picture of the pot leaf on his forehead and watching this video made me want to puke green blood! lol
by PacRim Jim
If everything is art, nothing is art.
by Bri
Art is not craft. Anyone can take a picture. To make it art it has to have a meaning. The artist has to have something to say. That’s how come a fur lined tea cup is considered art. This guy has something to say so it’s art. I don’t want to watch but art is in the eyes of the beholder.
by egore
Brian, if your mind still works, try Narcotics Anonymous. You may still be able to get help. Good luck.
by Aaron
How is this story relevant to this site? I go to Acceler8tor if I want to see this kind of stuff.
by Editor
I see it as an interesting and unique study of the effects of psychotropics.
by Matthew
Yes it is.
He is also a drama queen. Check out his other vids for example.
by e.s. gravois
Beneath all the deliberate shock value of this video is a deeply traumatized person who is showing us in a very raw form things that have been festering inside him for a long time. The car accident with the dead people; his parents’ telling him not to look at it, but his seeing it anyway; these had a huge impact on him. Mr. Saunders is not alone. Lots of us struggle with things like this. His drug use and the resulting art spill all this out of him in a particularly graphic way. I hope he gets some help laying his personal demons to rest.
by Editor
Agreed. The video and art seem to be a brilliant mechanism for powerful release of deep fears. Having studied and trained in bioenergetic analysis therapy (http://lowenfoundation.org/), his art and video seemed to me to be effective self-therapy. The same release can be achieved with bioenergetics without the drugs, but requires a trained therapist who can handle extremely intense emotional release (something conventional therapists tend not to be able to handle). But I can understand why many viewers would find the material disturbing or even triggering of repressed material, so I apologize for that.
by Stan
Wow, an artistic interpretation of existential angst with a small dollop of psychotic dementia! But the frontal lobes are still in charge so there’s hope.
by Bliss
Lots and lots of self portraits. . .drug commentary and self absorbed narcissism.
Where would we be without art students ?
by Snake Oil Baron
Nice art. But the artist seriously needs a vacation.
by asiwel
I think that this is supposed to somehow be “art” … as in Salvador Dali or in a bizarre form of rap music or even (but hardly) literature (e.g., Dante’s Inferno). I did Google Bryan Lewis Saunders to find who this person is. Frankly, I do not understand why a story such as this even appears on KurweilAI.net.
by alliwant
Not often I snipe at what I read here, but I think drug use seldom does much in the way of advancing intelligence. Often, quite the opposite, from what I have seen.
by zury
I disagree. Drug use, if done right, gives depth, perspective and substance to intelligence. I am pretty sure our civilization owes a lot to drug use.
Of course, it might be one of those things that, if you don’t use it, you can’t appreciate it, which would explain your comment
by S0ulman
Fully agree. Psychedelica used correctly and with respect are powerful tools! I can speak for THC and Psilocybin – I will never forget these experiences and I treasure them.
interesting to read is Carl Sagan’s opinion on THC :-). And let’s not forget the beatles…
by Ethan S.
alliwant +1
by Binary Slim
Hearty congratulations to any of those who observed that activity which is not science is not always very scientific.
by SyntaxHD
Present day drugs are all lame, They do way to much damage to your brain and will make you go insane after a while as you can see on this gentlemen here ;)
The Drugs of the Future will get me much more excited coz they will eventually do no harm and coz no addictions, brain damage and stuff.
Imagine a world where everybody can simulate heroin etc safely xD
Not to mention the more advanced hallucigenic mind opening drugs that will hopefully arrive some years/decades from now.
Too bad that science isnt allowed to research presend day drug usage and the effects that it have on the brain.
Once the “limitless” drug is succesfully created, descision making isnt scourged anymore by fear,stress, etc. so we can handle the future with much more confidence ! Drugs are good for us but not these primitve forms we have today !
by Bob Vasquez
How did he know that he suffered mild brain damage? Sounds as if he already had major brain damage.
by Ian Clarke
Good point. Any brain damage will have compromised all self-reported results thereafter. Not very scientific.
by mark
nice.
im curious what software allows such rapid display of images.
peace.
by someday69
Wonder what drugs what conditions,..ect ect..What ? If you have no referance,this is almost ah’waste..of my time…intertanining?Maybe…Cautionary tail?..sure….Someone else,,taking the same drugs..And find one who will take cocain,,eye’ah was’kah…ect…dont take the drugs ‘they give you../// take the one’s you want..in the invirment you want….at least try to find,,yourself in heaven,,not give’in to hell…..
by REI
Those watching this might be interested in this: http://www.afterlife-knowledge.com/answers.html
If this existence is actually a virtual reality experience, and if we are actually self-aware spiritual beings having a human experience, in which we are almost totally controlled by our beliefs, things may not be as bad as this indicates. As St. Paul wrote: God is Love.
by Bri
Oh my!!!( is he psychotic?).
by Khannea Suntzu
Sounds like fun. Not really but OK.
by jthorn
Well… That was, um, interesting..