Consciousness begins when brains acquire the power, the simple power I must add, of telling a story without words, the story that there is life ticking away in the organism, and that the states of the living organism, within body bounds, are continuously being altered by encounters with objects or events in its environment, or for that matter by thoughts and by internal adjustments of the life process. Consciousness emerges when this primordial story--the story of an object causally changing the state of the body--can be told using the universal nonverbal vocabulary of body signals. The apparent self emerges as the feeling of a feeling. When the story is first told spontaneously, without it ever having been requested, and forevermore after that when the story is repeated, knowing about what the organism is living through automatically emerges, as the answer to a question never asked. From that moment on we begin to know. [1]

Damasio suggests that it is impossible to separate the body and emotion from cognition and that, furthermore, all are necessary for consciousness--the knowing of the self--to be present. It is this notion that the conscious self is less a fixed identity than an emergent potential, a combination of corporeal, rational, and emotional intelligence, that the Oculus Projects takes as a central theme.

IA ultimately comes to view perception from a unique and individual point of view and re-forms a new and stable sense of self. With IA and how ancient time is viewed from the 3rd dimension, gradually shifts ones time frame to create our internal world as Story shaping as pure consciousness. These poetic actions and interactions substantiate the artist's presence in time and space and re-mind her of the intimate connection between the body and consciousness and the purest intent of Jesus..

The Body Ritual: Collecting

Electronic interfaces and neural networks provide intelligent behaviors, managing signals of the human body in sensorized environments. When we are connected our sensorial apparatus experience complex process of mutations, imprevisibilities, dissipations in a integrate sensorial circuit of "trompe les sens" that give back to us new identities changing our self-image. Electronic memories offer an exterior existence with repercussions of selfness. External memories transform us into potential beings able to exist, to recall and to think out of ourselves. It is a way of losing ourselves. We are in a passage, in a transit from something towards another strange and different thing. (1) by interfaces dialogue with nature, dim light as the art becomes interactive. The first miracle was shows as digital moving across the screen much like the memories of Jesus's face appeared before me in my 50's. I laughed and shared with others that the mind can experience "virtual hallucinations" in real time.

People gain shamanic powers whose altered states of consciousness can communicate with the beyond and intervene in the real world because they dialogue with spirits.The participants' behaviors determine the life of the environment moving liquids, altering sounds, metamorphosing pre-historical inscriptions from Ingα Stone managed by neural networks. Neural networks, inspired in our biological neurological system, learn some patterns of behavior and manipulate this data provoking "visions" in an enigmatic experience of TRANS-E. In "OUR HEART", I offer mutations on the reverse side of the body through echographies projected on round transparent walls. By a sequence of inputs and outputs a sound interface captures the invisible sounds from the participants'cardiac frequences. Biological bodies and sinthetic bodies dialogue with each other. A software, at random, gives back heart metamorphosis in real time regenerating our self-image. What matters is the relation existing between the several sources of data and what results from these exchanges.

The interfaces are synthetic, and our soul receive, process and give back to us new aspects of our relationship with behaviour patterns regenerating ourselves. What matters is the relationship existing between the several sources of information and what results from this dialogue. In IA we experencied the second natural environnement life, interfacing with the physical/real and

Interactive Art (IA) pieces puts theory into practice. Via IA the artists are enhancing theoretical paths. The interactive art are offering a real show room for the scientific researches and the pure messages of Jesus and how vast our memory is to remind us of his pure intent.

A really collaboration between the soul and our vision shifts in time and space understanding and the control of the physical phenomena. The emotional body seeks balance in thought and reason as the logic mind synthesis the visual reality. Miracles appear in viewing faces, as split seconds where Jesus is shown to appear in the middle of our vision. How does time and the miracle shift my perception as the true intent of Jesus appears before me. And the artists always seek to exceed, to go beyond the limits. This is exciting, amazing and stimulating for humanity. . The sciences in the end of this century have increasily interest in the spiristualism of their theoretical approach. Interactive Art is really humanizing technologies. To see,to touch, to experience algorythms, infrared waves, to capture invisible forces giving them visibility, to check organic laws give us many experiences of consciousness propagation in a symbiosis of organic/inorganic life in this post-biological era.

There is an on-going dialogue about the differences between art and therapy. Many of the students here come to our degree programs because they have discovered a connection between art and healing. They arrive sometimes with the notion that art therapy – or expressive arts – is the formula through which one my use art to aid in the healing of others. It's a noble and well intentioned impulse, but it misinterprets the ways through which art and artists can assist others in the self-integrative process. Calling oneself an 'art therapist' is in some way a sort of apology. The term suggests that one must be specially qualified to use art as a tool for healing. We often confuse the term art therapist with art psychotherapist – the original term used by the art therapy pioneer Margaret Naumberg to describe the then novel idea that psychotherapy could be undertaken through the combination of art, and talk-therapy. Her view like all therapists of her time was predicated on the then nearly universal acceptance of Freudian psycho-analysis as the foundation for all psycho-therpeutuc practice. It would never have occurrred to Naumberg that a non-European approach to art or psycho-therpay might ever even exist, let alone be the modality of choice for two-thirds of the world's population

Artists, regardless of their cultural tradition, understand how art becomes a self-integrative process – how art teaches us to know and embrace our true selves. It is only now being aknowledged, however, that we can use these insights to help others in amazing and profound new ways. It's different for each of us. Many art therapy programs are designed to teach conventional psychotherapy and simply add the dynamic of expression and visual analysis to the psychotherapeutic process. Art therapy programs teach a variety of techniques, which are to be applied to various pathologies and therapeutic interventions. The alternative to art as psychotherapy is what we in arts and consciousness call 'Transformative Arts'. As artists rather than psychotherapists we witness and encourage the creative process. We make suggestions and provide a structure in which others may investigate themselves through a variety of media. Art heals entirely without the assistance or intervention of the 'therapist'. We've discovered art is not a tool for healing, but the healing itself. In the process of expressing ourselves through any art medium, and (very importantly) being received or 'witnessed' by others through this self-expression, we literally create a new self -- a new you/me through which both the personal and universal dimensions of our beings are affirmed. That's where the healing takes place.

"We must maintain the boundary between the therapist and the client" Judeo Christians are conditioned to see the therapist as a messiah – an individual who intervenes in our life and delivers us from our own wretchedness – our pathology. The entire field of psychotherapy takes this promnary assumption of Judeo-Christian theology and applies it to the 'secular' practice of psychotherpy. The Asian - Hindu/Buddhist/Islamic view is that we are all inter-connected and that redemption and enlightenment come as the result of penetrating illusion and vanity – understanding the illusory nature of the ego. Yen's 'art-therapy' reflects a practice-based approach to therapy rather than one that is essentially faith-based. Working primarily with Asian clients, Yen's work reflects an alternative to the Eurocentric view that therapy is redemptive, and invasive, rather than inter-active and collaborative. She arrived at this revolutionary approach through years of developing herself as an artist – a concentrated path of introspection and meditative practice. As an Asian woman and a practicing Tibetan Buddhist, Chua Seow-Yen has asserted an alternative to the un-intentional Eurocentric assumptions of the therapist as a redemptor and father-figure – a strong interventionist in the innately sinful existence of all people. Instead the art-based, interactive model invites open inter-action between 'client' and 'therapist', creating a new gestalt and a creative partnership that strengthens the nature of connection and moves beyond the boundaries of ego and praxis. Perhaps this important innovation argues for more art and less therapy.

If art is understood to be about healing and self-integration, rather than decoration or propaganda (political, philosophical and commercial) then artists have a new role to play in the world. We're not decorators or oracles – not geniuses or colorful characters, but teachers of techniques and approaches to self-inquiry that allow anyone – not just those who are 'talented' to achieve a new state of being through art. As the world changes and new avenues for the discovery of meaning and identity are sought in all cultures, it's a great thing for artists to offer. It makes us an essential part of the evolving global culture, as once we were. The world is no longer about power and hierarchy – it's about inter-connectedness and meaning. Art changes everything.