Deep time
Notes:
“All time is all time. It does not change. It does not lend itself to warnings or explanations. It simply is. Take it moment by moment, and you will find that we are all, as I've said before, bugs in amber.” |
 I've been a self conscious writer since a young age. Labeled with dyslexia and oldest kid of 3 in a Republican Texas family with a hippy minded mother, I was raised in a middle class family with certain expectations. I was a good student with an interest in art and film. After completing a bachelors in art, I was dead set on my art practice. I kept my work private, showing occasionally and focused more on other people's work through events and curation. My art practice is still in effect but after having two kids my practice is more of a hobby. I've kept track of my astrophotography outings for some time and occasionally write about them, which is the reason the site was started in 2019. Going out every new moon, staying up all night and hunting the night sky with my camera resets my circadian rhythms and adds perspective to my life. Few people tell me they don't like thinking about the infinite universe. This hobby is different from others. You can elevate any hobby to a passion or art practice, but the physicality intertwined with the technological and metaphysical aspects of syncing to the rotation of the earth, capturing an image, mentally and mechanically processing the ancient light you've grabbed is as human as it gets. Processing what's in the sky, how stars are formed, exploring the matter shot into a vacuum by eruptive stellar forces pushes me to grapple with the unknown, and after staying up all night, I often feel accomplished and refreshed. When I’m sleep deprived the next day, I allow myself to rest and not being on top of everything. Writing about the experience helps extend the image into story, after the images are processed, the event becomes an experience I want to remember. Over the next few months I’ll be posting posthumously about other outings as exercise in pushing myself to capture these events. Here are just a few of the events which have happened over the past 5 years.
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Hypothesis: Astrophotography can be a powerful behavioral sleep therapy for depression and sleep disorders. Understanding circadian rhythms can help us understand more about ourselves. Disclaimers: I'm an artist, this is a blog that you had to spend time to find, and is my personal dive into a thought process, not a dissertation on anything viable or for sale. Overview
Dark Sky Islands is about pursuing amateur astronomy, ridiculous endeavors and a pursuing a fun hobby. I’m bad at math and not a very good writer, but I know this discipline is very different from other art forms and career pursuits. I hope that this blog becomes a forum for my sporadic ideas to spur reflection on topics that come up when thinking about making images, experiencing the night sky in remote locations, or back in front of the computer processing photographs. It's a medium that enables time to contemplate, visualize and accept your place in the universe. Below are a few topics we'll cover in more depth and clarity. Art and aesthetics In 1973 Chris Burden “paddled a small canvas kayak from town on Sea of Cortez in Baja California to an uninhabited beach further south , carrying only water. He spent 11 days on the beach , in 120 degree temperatures before declaring an end to the performance and paddling back to town. In his Los Angeles gallery a note describing his absence was the only thing viewers found when they arrived for his schedules exhibition.” He later said “ it was really more about isolation than anything else… It was about being gone.” I heard him say in an artist talk in Chicago that is was one of the most terrifying experiences of his life, he didn’t sleep and felt like everything around him was meant to kill him. This adrenaline is the same adrenaline that gets us going down mountains in the snow, riding a bike, sex, or dancing. Circadian Rhythms, Depression, and the “reset” Delayed sleep phase disorder (DSPD), more often known as delayed sleep phase syndrome and also as delayed sleep-wake phase disorder, is a chronic disregulation of a person's circadian rhythm (biological clock), compared to those of the general population and societal norms. The disorder affects the timing of sleep, peak period of alertness, the core body temperature rhythm, and hormonal and other daily cycles. People with DSPD generally fall asleep some hours after midnight and have difficulty waking up in the morning.[1] People with DSPD probably have a circadian period significantly longer than 24 hours.[2] Depending on the severity, the symptoms can be managed to a greater or lesser degree, but no cure is known, and research suggests a genetic origin for the disorder. Depression[edit] In the DSPD cases reported in the literature, about half of the patients have suffered from clinical depression or other psychological problems, about the same proportion as among patients with chronic insomnia.[21] According to the ICSD: Although some degree of psychopathology is present in about half of adult patients with DSPD, there appears to be no particular psychiatric diagnostic category into which these patients fall. Psychopathology is not particularly more common in DSPD patients compared to patients with other forms of "insomnia." ... Whether DSPD results directly in clinical depression, or vice versa, is unknown, but many patients express considerable despair and hopelessness over sleeping normally again.[21] A direct neurochemical relationship between sleep mechanisms and depression is another possibility.[4] DSPD may cause excessive or inappropriate production of melatonin. Serotonin, a mood regulator, is the precursor of melatonin. As a result, increased endogenous melatonin production can deplete serotonin levels and may cause depression.[citation needed] It is conceivable that DSPD has a role in causing depression because it can be such a stressful and misunderstood disorder. A 2008 study from the University of California, San Diegofound no association of bipolar disorder (history of mania) with DSPD, and it states that there may be behaviorally-mediated mechanisms for comorbidity between DSPD and depression. For example, the lateness of DSPD cases and their unusual hours may lead to social opprobrium and rejection, which might be depressing.[46] The Reset Theory Reset occurs when the circadian rhythm is shifted temporarily and accompanied by surges in adrenaline and serotonin. As serotonin is a precursor to melatonin and adrenaline can affect cognitive behaviour ; the relationship of these chemicals to the sleeping mechanisms of the body are affected and the individual is prone to reset their circadian rhythms when they shift their sleeping patterns change their environment and engage in a positive introspective & explorative activity simultaneously. Direction of thought for those with depression, ADHD, add, sad, may find a treatment. Adrenaline and human cognitive and physical performance Reset and the outdoors in the dark
Human Night Activity and light Pollution
Planning and discovering Astrophotography; Cognitive mapping inner outer infinite
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