ClassX Video Lessons Subjects Art The Divine Artist – Alex Grey – Channeling The Cosmic Creative Force
Hello! I’m Alex Grey, a visionary artist and co-founder of the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors (CoSM) with my wife, artist Allison Grey. In collaboration with After Skool, this article delves into the fascinating relationship between art, consciousness, and the cosmos. Let’s embark on this journey together.
Cosmic creativity is the intelligent energy that manifests and flows through all beings and forms. The universe itself is a grand masterpiece of creation. Creative individuals often feel connected to this force, which moves through us and inspires us. Approximately 13.7 billion years ago, the universe began with a monumental event. Initially, it was a chaotic mix of plasma gas filled with subatomic matter and anti-matter, colliding and expanding for 300,000 years. Eventually, protons and electrons bonded into hydrogen, allowing light to emerge for the first time.
As the universe expanded, the wavelength of this first light stretched into what we now know as cosmic background radiation. Over billions of years, atoms, stars, supernovas, planets, complex molecules, cells, and creatures evolved, each stage representing a remarkable development. This evolution suggests a divine order and intelligence at the core of existence.
Creativity is another name for evolution; both are expressions of spirit in action. It is fundamental to existence, the voice of the Universe, manifesting in all phenomena. Every moment offers the chance to transcend the previous one. Our Divine Core holds the same creative potential that existed before the universe began. The force that birthed the cosmos lives as the creative urge within our souls.
God created a cosmos with evolving beings capable of forming a conscious relationship with their creator. Whenever we express ourselves, the universe’s creative force that evolved our hands and animates them with life is at work. We engage with this creative power either consciously or unconsciously. Over a century ago, philosopher R.M. Buck suggested that the experience of cosmic consciousness is becoming more frequent as humanity evolves, with more reports in modern times.
R.M. Buck described his experience of cosmic consciousness as being enveloped in a flame-colored cloud, feeling a sense of exaltation and immense joy, accompanied by an intellectual illumination. He realized that the universe is a living presence, not composed of dead matter. He became aware of eternal life, understanding that everyone is immortal and that the cosmic order ensures happiness for all in the long run.
This mystical experience reveals a primal unity with the source of creation. Everything and everyone is an expression of the cosmic creative force. The more we tap into our desire for innovative expression, free from limitations, the clearer a channel we become for manifestation. Creating art aligns us with the cosmic creative force, and art made with the intention to benefit others can be a spiritual practice.
CoSM is an art church where we view art as our religion. All religions have sacred arts, from scriptures and hymns to architecture and dance. Studying the cross-cultural history of art connects us with all sacred paths, each an expression of the one spirit of love that is eternally creating the cosmos. Metaphorically, we are all artists of our lives. Consciousness and self-knowledge are our primary mediums, shaping the narrative in our heads and painting our picture of reality.
We are sacred mirrors of the cosmic creative force. The creator is the source and unlimited fountain, the spirit living within you. All of our creations made with love align us with the visionary artist, who expands their awareness to connect with the cosmic creative force and regards their craft as a sacred path. Contact with divine reality is the source of visionary art, a materialized expression of an inner revelation. The artist works with a celestial hierarchy of spiritual forces.
In our scientific era, it may seem unconventional to suggest that spiritual messengers whisper to our souls. However, Socrates spoke of a wise inner voice that counseled him, which he called a divine something. In ancient Rome, this concept evolved into the understanding that each person has a genius or an invisible angel accompanying them. Christian mystics adopted this idea, and according to Thomas Aquinas, each person is assigned an angel as a guardian on their life journey. Through this angel, God introduces images and suggestions, guiding individuals toward what is right. The creation of art is a dance with angels, as the inner guide invites us to enhance whatever we are creating.
Art depends on and represents the visionary imagination, our transcendental creative source. Among the earliest known mystic visionary artists was the German Abbot Hildegard of Bingen, who described her revelations in the book “Scivias.” Enveloped in a fiery inner light, she received iconic images and heard instructions to speak and write, not according to human speech or inventiveness, but to the extent that one can see and hear the things in the heavens above in the marvelousness of God.
Michelangelo’s drawing “The Dream” depicts a youth being awakened by an angel’s trumpet blast into his third eye, surrounded by vignettes of life. Yet the youth is focused on the angel, symbolizing the soul. Saint Augustine declared that our whole purpose in life is to restore the eye of the heart so that God may be seen. This defines the role of the visionary artist.
Saint Augustine noted that the eye of our hearts may not be well, and we need to restore it to see God. Our inability to feel compassion for ourselves and others blinds us to the presence of God. When we express gratitude for the gifts we have, each new day becomes a blessed opportunity. We can restore the eye of the heart by imagining what we are grateful for.
Thank you to the spirit alive in each of us, flowing through all dimensions and manifesting our cosmic creativity. May we all be creative and celebrate the spirit of love. This solstice season, I extend my gratitude to After Skool for adding their brilliant drawings to this talk I gave during the December full moon broadcast in the Hudson Valley of New York. CoSM’s mission is to build an enduring sanctuary of visionary art to uplift the global community. To learn more about myself, Allison, CoSM, and the visionary art movement, you can explore the link in the description of this video. Thank you for watching.
Engage in a hands-on art workshop where you create your own piece of visionary art. Use various mediums to express your interpretation of cosmic creativity and the universe. Reflect on how your creation connects to the themes of art, consciousness, and the cosmos.
Participate in a guided meditation session designed to help you experience a sense of cosmic consciousness. Focus on connecting with the creative force within you and explore how this awareness can influence your artistic and personal expression.
Join a discussion panel with fellow students and faculty to explore the concept of art as a sacred path. Discuss how different cultures and religions view art as a spiritual practice and share your thoughts on how art can be a medium for connecting with the divine.
Conduct a case study on a visionary artist, such as Hildegard of Bingen or Michelangelo. Analyze their works and writings to understand how they connected with the cosmic creative force. Present your findings to the class, highlighting the role of visionary artists in history.
Maintain a journal where you document your creative expressions and reflections on cosmic creativity. Include sketches, poems, or short essays that capture your evolving understanding of the relationship between art, consciousness, and the universe.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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Hello, my name is Alex Grey, a visionary artist and co-founder of the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors (CoSM) with my wife, artist Allison Grey. This video, made in collaboration with After Skool, explores the relationship between art, consciousness, and the cosmos. Enjoy.
Cosmic creativity is the intelligent energy manifesting and flowing through all beings and forms. The universe is the masterwork of creation. Creative individuals often feel in touch with this force, which moves us and flows through us. Approximately 13.7 billion years ago, the universe began with a significant event. Initially, there was only plasma gas filled with subatomic matter and anti-matter colliding and expanding for 300,000 years before protons and electrons bonded into hydrogen, allowing light to first appear.
The universe continued to expand rapidly, stretching the wavelength of this first light into what is known as cosmic background radiation. Over billions of years, atoms, stars, supernovas, planets, complex molecules, cells, and creatures evolved, each phase representing a strikingly original development. Far from random selection, a divine order and intelligence appeared at the very foundation of existence.
Thank you to the great spirit for the creative process at work in cosmic, biological, and consciousness evolution. Creativity is another name for evolution; both are expressions of spirit in action. Fundamental to existence, creativity is the voice of the Universe, occurring in all phenomena. Every new moment offers the possibility to transcend the last. Our Divine Core carries the same potential for creation that existed before the beginning of the universe. The force that birthed the cosmos lives as the creative urge in our souls.
God created a cosmos, evolving beings capable of conscious relationship with their creator. Whenever we express ourselves, the creative force of the universe that evolved our hands and animates them with life is working through us. We either consciously or unconsciously work with this creative power. Over a century ago, philosopher R.M. Buck suggested that the experience of cosmic consciousness is occurring with greater frequency as humanity evolves, with noticeably expanded reports in modern times.
Here is a quote from his experience of cosmic consciousness: “All at once, without warning, I found myself wrapped in a flame-colored cloud. I knew that the fire was within myself. There came upon me a sense of exaltation and immense joyousness, accompanied by an intellectual illumination impossible to describe. I saw that the universe is not composed of dead matter, but is, on the contrary, a living presence. I became conscious of eternal life. I saw that everyone is immortal, that the cosmic order is such that all things work together for the good of each and all, and that the foundation principle of the world is love, ensuring that happiness is absolutely certain in the long run.”
As Buck recounts, the mystical experience reveals a primal unity with the source of creation. Everything and everyone is an expression of the cosmic creative force. The deeper we tap into our yearning for innovative expression, free from limitations, the clearer a channel we become for manifestation. Making art aligns us with the cosmic creative force. Art created with the intention to benefit others can be a spiritual practice.
CoSM is an art church; we think of art as our religion. All religions have sacred arts, from scriptures and hymns to architecture and dance. Studying the cross-cultural history of art connects us with all sacred paths, each an expression of the one spirit of love that is eternally creating the cosmos. Metaphorically, we are all artists of our lives. Consciousness and self-knowledge are our primary mediums, authoring the narrative in our heads and painting our picture of reality.
We are sacred mirrors of the cosmic creative force. The creator is the source and unlimited fountain, the spirit living within you. All of our creations made with love align us with the visionary artist, who expands their awareness to connect with the cosmic creative force and regards their craft as a sacred path. Contact with divine reality is the source of visionary art, a materialized expression of an inner revelation. The artist works with a celestial hierarchy of spiritual forces.
In our scientific era, it may sound unconventional to suggest that there are spiritual messengers who whisper to our souls. However, Socrates spoke of a wise inner voice that counseled him, which he called a divine something. In ancient Rome, this concept emerged as the understanding that each person has a genius or an invisible angel accompanying them. Christian mystics adopted this idea, and according to Thomas Aquinas, each person is assigned an angel as a guardian on their life journey. Through this angel, God introduces images and suggestions, guiding individuals toward what is right. The creation of art is a dance with angels, as the inner guide invites us to enhance whatever we are creating.
Art depends on and represents the visionary imagination, our transcendental creative source. Among the earliest known mystic visionary artists was the German Abbot Hildegard of Bingen, who described her revelations in the book “Scivias.” Enveloped in a fiery inner light, she received iconic images and heard instructions to speak and write, not according to human speech or inventiveness, but to the extent that one can see and hear the things in the heavens above in the marvelousness of God.
Michelangelo’s drawing “The Dream” depicts a youth being awakened by an angel’s trumpet blast into his third eye, surrounded by vignettes of life. Yet the youth is focused on the angel, symbolizing the soul. Saint Augustine declared that our whole purpose in life is to restore the eye of the heart so that God may be seen. This defines the role of the visionary artist.
Saint Augustine noted that the eye of our hearts may not be well, and we need to restore it to see God. Our inability to feel compassion for ourselves and others blinds us to the presence of God. When we express gratitude for the gifts we have, each new day becomes a blessed opportunity. We can restore the eye of the heart by imagining what we are grateful for.
Thank you to the spirit alive in each of us, flowing through all dimensions and manifesting our cosmic creativity. May we all be creative and celebrate the spirit of love. This solstice season, I extend my gratitude to After Skool for adding their brilliant drawings to this talk I gave during the December full moon broadcast in the Hudson Valley of New York. CoSM’s mission is to build an enduring sanctuary of visionary art to uplift the global community. To learn more about myself, Allison, CoSM, and the visionary art movement, you can explore the link in the description of this video. Thank you for watching.
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This version maintains the core message while removing any potentially sensitive or unnecessary content.
Art – The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power. – Art has the power to transcend cultural boundaries and evoke profound emotions in its audience.
Creativity – The use of imagination or original ideas to create something; inventiveness. – The creativity of the artist was evident in the innovative use of colors and textures in the painting.
Consciousness – The state of being aware of and able to think about one’s own existence, sensations, thoughts, and surroundings. – Philosophers have long debated the nature of consciousness and its role in human experience.
Universe – All existing matter and space considered as a whole; the cosmos. – The concept of the universe is central to many philosophical discussions about the nature of existence and reality.
Evolution – The gradual development of something, especially from a simple to a more complex form. – The evolution of artistic styles reflects changes in cultural values and technological advancements.
Philosophy – The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline. – Philosophy encourages critical thinking and the exploration of profound questions about life and the universe.
Imagination – The faculty or action of forming new ideas, or images or concepts of external objects not present to the senses. – Imagination is a crucial component of both artistic creation and philosophical inquiry.
Sacred – Regarded with reverence and respect, often in a religious or spiritual context. – Many cultures consider certain works of art to be sacred, imbued with spiritual significance.
Visionary – Thinking about or planning the future with imagination or wisdom. – The artist was hailed as a visionary for her ability to foresee and depict the future of urban landscapes.
Spirituality – The quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things. – Spirituality often finds expression in art, providing a medium for exploring the deeper aspects of human existence.
