Art, Spirit & Manifestation - A talk by Dr Lila Moore

Dr. Lila Moore discusses Art, Spirituality, and Manifestation, accompanied by visuals and sounds from her immersive installation and screendance In Days of Yore.

Inspired by a conversation with filmmaker Tommy Gärd, who filmed the talk at the Alef Trust/ Creative Bridges/UROTAS Conferences, Oxford University.

Art is a form of magic(k), as it involves acts of creation, manifestation, transformation, and evolution. In my recent article on Technoetic Magick, I wrote that the term ‘magick’ implies a relationship to spiritual or pagan rituals. According to Harvard University’s Pluralism Project ‘magick’ spelled with a ‘k’ separates the spiritual practice from the fictional fantasy of film, theatre, and the magical tricks of SFX. In contemporary Paganism, ritual techniques that alter people’s consciousness and enable them to perceive and participate in a spiritual reality are regarded as magick.

In my creative framework, the term magick is utilized in the context of digital-AI, screen-based, augmented, and virtual artworks and films, including modes of performance and ritual. Magickal images or themes are not merely fantastical but are depictions that center on the imaginal. A magickal practice involving the imaginal can be described as psychospiritual. Magickal practices often involve altered states of consciousness that enable the emergence of imaginal and apparitional presence. In other words, in art that distances itself from magic tricks, there are moments of revelation where the unseen becomes visible through manifestation.

The term imaginal implies a spiritual realm discovered through spiritual practice. Art can be perceived as a form of spiritual practice—a ritualistic act dedicated to one’s sense or experience of the Self as a unique being with a distinct identity. Each of us possesses a unique set of fingerprints, a universal mark of individuality. According to Scotland Yard’s fingerprint database, it would likely take more than a million years for two people to have identical fingerprints. Even identical twins, who share almost identical DNA, have unique fingerprints. While this fact can be scientifically explained without invoking a spiritual interpretation, art has the power to explore such factual truths metaphorically. It invites us to ponder the deeper meaning of individuality and how it relates to the imaginal realm—a space where the spiritual, the creative, and the personal converge.

“The law of attraction” begins with visualization but rarely ends there, as some New Age doctrines might imply. The idea visualized is only a seed emerging from the darkness of the Unmanifest. Art, therefore, serves as a manifestation medium, a testing ground for the flights of the spirit, and a field of experimentation in embodying the unknown that desires to be made known. Yet, the imaginal Unknown remains forever a mystery, always inviting the seeker to explore further.

As the year ends, take time to reflect on meaningful moments of manifestation in your journey in 2024. These could be simple yet profound experiences, such as heartfelt conversations, a beautiful moment in nature, or an inspiring passage in a book. Perhaps there were fleeting seconds when something invisible manifested, bringing with it a feeling of gratitude or deep knowing and realization.

Wishing you peace and love this holiday season,

Dr. Lila Moore