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Art, Attention, And Consciousness: An Experiment In Experiential Painting, Ben Drewry, Johannes Kohler

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A “transformation of perception” is investigated by looking both at the interrelationship among art, attention, and consciousness and by looking into their common origin. The role attention plays in consciousness is considered. A new model of consciousness is summarized that claims that attention is the primary factor in creating consciousness, and posits a prereflective self prior to all perceptual experience. This model is compared to states of pure consciousness described by Eastern sages, and the role attention plays in achieving those states is examined. Our experiment in experiential painting is described, and we then attempt to tie together the three …