Iebele Abel

Divination assumes that reality consists of multiple levels (like the divine and the physical world), which in some manner mirror one other. Within this mode of thought, levels of reality outside the scope of the physical world can be captured by human mind because of their reflection in physical phenomena. This idea of correspondence is extremely widespread in all societies, from early history till recent times. Divinatory methods are typically used in situations in which morality, justice or health are central. Though divination is widely practiced in Western society, within the framework of contemporary science there is hardly theory supporting the idea of correspondence. Within the present time-space-causality mode of thought, correspondence between the human psyche and physical systems outside the body are considered as anomalous phenomena. Scientific research however indicates that anomalous correspondence takes place in controlled experimental settings. Evidence for correspondence between human psyche and the physical world, reiterate metaphysical contemplations on God, world and soul. The Dutch artist and researcher Iebele Abel has developed a divinatory musical system to investigate if and how anomalous correspondence can be applied to evoke exceptional (psychic) experiences. This visual and musical system is based on methods and technologies within the framework of contemporary scientific and artistic thought, and may therefore contribute in our understanding how and if human mind can capture, interpret and express information from different levels of reality, if any. Iebele Abel is an artist and PhD researcher at the Institute of Philosophy, Leiden University. He works and lives in The Hague (Netherlands) and Patmos (Greece).