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September/October 2009 Featured Stories
Far Out Worlds: Seeing Parallel Realities through Art

by Orna Ben-Shoshan

Can life exist in other forms beyond the world we live in? Can we see these parallel realities?

The art world, especially the surreal, visionary and fantasy genres, suggest a glimpse into the vast range of possibilities that exist beyond normal human perception.

The theory of parallel dimensions was first contemplated by scientists at Princeton University. Recent research by Prof. David Dutch of Oxford University seems to prove the theory of parallel worlds. He claims that we can only see a minimal portion of a larger reality. Our world is only one of many possible hidden realities, only one single form of existence out of infinite dimensions that exist at the same time. According to quantum physics, there is more than one universe, and we can interact with alternate dimensions of being.

Parallel realities may exist under different physical laws of time and space. These alternative possibilities may be happening just a few inches away from us, but we're not aware of these parallel realities because we're not tuned in to their different energetic frequencies.

Accessing Alternate Dimensions

The human soul, which is an integral part of the immense universal energy field, has a subconscious connection with different forms of being. As humans, we are "trapped" in a physical body that limits our larger vision of the universe. Consciously, we can only be aware of aspects that can be absorbed by our five senses. People who develop their sixth sense can access knowledge beyond the physical existence.

According to modern physics, the passage between our dimension and parallel realities is in the form of black holes or worm tunnels that exist in some mysterious locations in the universe. Humankind has vague memories of the existence of other dimensions, and many people are on an ongoing quest to overcome the limitations of the mind to access the larger picture.

Human beings can connect with alternate realities in some conditions. As our souls leave our bodies during sleep, they can access higher realms, getting recharged and reset. According to the mystical Kabbalah in the Jewish tradition, the sleep process is considered a form of death when the soul departs from the body. Practicing Jews have a special morning prayer to thank God for returning the soul back into the body upon awakening.

In deep trance meditation, people can silence their ever active minds and connect with the eternal universal love energy. Other people find that reading fantasy literature or watching science fiction movies may open their imagination to ideas and possibilities which are beyond normal existence.

Surreal, visionary and fantasy art genres offer another way to see parallel worlds. Surreal art is characterized by images that come directly from the subconscious mind. Through the subconscious mind, our souls are connected to universal wisdom, which is an infinite pool that contains vast information and endless possibilities. Some surrealist artists are clairvoyants who absorb images from alternate realities. According to social perception, they "capture" visuals through channeling.

Look at Salvador Dali's paintings "The Dream" and "The Temptation of St. Anthony." What if his vivid surreal imagination describes an alternate reality where such scenes take place? Can we access portals to other realities through our dreams and be tempted by wild beasts from another world?

Rene Magritte's painting "The Human Condition" is a clear illustration of one plane (the image on the canvas) that merges with another (the actual landscape in the distance).

Magritte's famous "Chateau des Pyrenees" depicts a huge rock floating over the ocean, with a castle built on its top. Everyone knows that a huge boulder cannot float in the air, but could this scene be possible in a dimension that has a different set of physical laws?

Remedios Varo, a Mexican surrealist, is a terrific example of a clairvoyant artist. Her paintings depict a series of fantasy scenes that seem to be taken from alternate worlds. The painting "The Alchemist" shows reality extending from one dimension to another.

As a self-taught visionary artist, my own paintings originate from a mysterious, far out world and reveal colorful alternative realities in which creatures and objects interact in unpredictable ways. As a life-long student of Kabbalah and mysticism, I've always been fascinated by the gateway points, which are the borders between different dimensions.

Here are examples of parallel realities in my own work:

Art depicts many possible ways to pass into alternate dimensions: traveling through air, diffusing from one plane into another, riding a floating structure, opening a door to the void, climbing a staircase or dissolving landscapes. If you are curious about worlds beyond our own, art is a vivid medium for seeing these parallel realities.

Orna Ben-Shoshan has been an auto deduct artist for the past 30 years. Her artwork has been exhibited in numerous locations in the U.S., Europe and Israel. Visit www.ben-shoshan.com. To see the artwork of surrealist artists, visit www.artcyclopedia.com.