Codex Seraphinianus

[Virilis]

This is definitely one of the most enigmatic books I have ever encountered. Festooned with surreal drawings that somehow articulate with mysterious asemic writing that defies translation. A fantastical encyclopedia that explores the very depths of the unknown reaches of the imagination and the subconscious from whence it emerges.

I saw a signed Italian true 1st edition on eBay going for $6000 the other day.



Such a wonderful and mesmerizing masterpiece

Below is the link to the full eBook.

http://http://mabjustmab.com/wp-content/uploads/share/changeling/Luigi.Serafini.-.Codex.Seraphinianus.pdf

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=VkzvimzcRmc

[Foxie Loxie]

Reminds me of the weird book from the 1600's bought by Prince Rudolph. Sorry, I have no sources, just remember seeing a program on it.

[Noelle]

The author said he was in a trance while creating it. Perhaps there is some message in the book from the zeitgeist (humanity's collective unconscious).

[Virilis]

Posted by Foxie Loxie (here)
Reminds me of the weird book from the 1600's bought by Prince Rudolph. Sorry, I have no sources, just remember seeing a program on it.

I totally agree. The whole work does seem to be reminiscent of the artwork inherent in several books that were anchored in the Hermetic and alchemical traditions of that time.

I think the book that was allegedly purchased by Rudolph II for 600 gold ducats was the Voynich manuscript, which I believe featured illustrations of imaginary flora and was written in a script that hasn't been decoded to this day.

Posted by LadyM (here)
The author said he was in a trance while creating it. Perhaps there is some message in the book from the zeitgeist (humanity's collective unconscious).

That aspect really fascinated me as well. In addition to the 2+ year trance, he also mentioned that he employed a form of "automatic writing". I can't help but feel that some incredibly profound concepts infuse the book, a deeper gnosis that eludes comprehension by my limited objective consciousness.

[Mercedes]

Just by looking at the drawings it gives a distressing sensation, the endless source for nightmares, the guidebook of a mad geneticist, and some ideas of how a creative mind works. Overall... anguish.

[Virilis]

Posted by Mercedes (here)
Just by looking at the drawings it gives a distressing sensation, the endless source for nightmares, the guidebook of a mad geneticist, and some ideas of how a creative mind works. Overall... anguish.

That would perhaps make for a spectacular book blurb on the back cover!

Interesting...my experience when engaging with the book is one of child-like curiosity and joy....I love those rainbow elements throughout...

[Mercedes]

Posted by Virilis (here)

Posted by Mercedes (here)
Just by looking at the drawings it gives a distressing sensation, the endless source for nightmares, the guidebook of a mad geneticist, and some ideas of how a creative mind works. Overall... anguish.

That would perhaps make for a spectacular book blurb on the back cover!

Interesting...my experience when engaging with the book is one of child-like curiosity and joy....I love those rainbow elements throughout...

Ha ha, well, as they say: it's all in the eyes of the beholder, no?

[starlight]

I must agree with Mercedes on this one... however these illustrations do strike my curiosity. Looks like we're peering through the eyes of an eccentric acid trip. Nevertheless, very intriguing indeed.

[witchy1]

Ask him, hes still around

Created by the Italian artist, architect, and industrial designer Luigi Serafini during thirty months, from 1976 to 1978.[2] The book is approximately 360 pages long (depending on edition), and written in a cipher alphabet[3] in an imaginary language.[4]

Taken from wikipedia- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codex_Seraphinianus

[Virilis]

Posted by witchy1 (here)
Ask him, hes still around

Created by the Italian artist, architect, and industrial designer Luigi Serafini during thirty months, from 1976 to 1978.[2] The book is approximately 360 pages long (depending on edition), and written in a cipher alphabet[3] in an imaginary language.[4]

Taken from wikipedia- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codex_Seraphinianus

The asemic writing aspect really is singularly evocative in the surreal image context of the book. Kane Faucher tried to decode the codex by "drawing up tables and creating matrixes to try to decipher the language which led him to an unexpected conclusion. Maybe it didn’t mean anything at all". "There is not actually language behind this artificial simulacrum of language,” he said.

Interestingly, Serafini's own words suggest something more mysterious at play here. “It’s a lot like the story of creation, as if the artist was possessed by something, by the zeitgeist, by the spirit of the times, by something shaped by forces we don’t even know about, like aliens,” he said at a press conference in 2014. I guess this is what LadyM was alluding to in Post#3.

Check out the interesting article "Deciphering the mysterious encyclopedia known as the Codex Seraphinianus". It has a wonderful podcast embedded in it as well, which helps to shed more light on the historical arc of the publication of the book.

https://www.pri.org/stories/2016-05-...-seraphinianus

[Noelle]

I wonder if they compared it to some of the light languages.

[Virilis]

Posted by LadyM (here)
I wonder if they compared it to some of the light languages.

I'll definitely need some guidance here, as I haven't heard of the concept of "light languages" before. Any links to explanatory resources relating to this would be greatly appreciated.

[Noelle]

You can go to Google and search for "light language" in the images. I don't know much about them myself. Here's one example.

[Virilis]

Thanks for the link. I'll delve into this more deeply when time permits. Also found a potentially useful vid, which I'll also check out. I wonder whether there are any Light Language practitioners here on PA?

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=S0k_ZkazRWQ

[Isserley]

Posted by Foxie Loxie (here)
Reminds me of the weird book from the 1600's bought by Prince Rudolph. Sorry, I have no sources, just remember seeing a program on it.

https://www.google.hr/url?sa=t&sourc...TFZMYQRKDMC81g