AI-generated loop videos with soundscapes (Stable Diffusion, ControlNet, AnimateDiff ) – January 2024
I vividly remember my first thunderstorm as a child. It was late afternoon in our home, surrounded by farmland. The air hung heavy, oppressive. My mind churned, unsettled without reason. My grandparents were gazing at the horizon, but there was no relief to be found.
Then, distant flashes of lightning began to appear. Initially, they were utterly silent. Every creature fell silent, not a single insect made a sound. All awaited their deliverance.
I was captivated by the distant flashes. I was afraid, yet I yearned for them to draw closer. Soon, I began to hear their cracks. Their ferocity sent shivers down my spine, electrifying my entire body. A few drops fell, and a profound sense of release and tranquillity washed over me.
Little did I know then that this ebb and flow between tension and release would be such a significant part of adulthood.
Thunderstorms and intimacy are closely related. Their tension and ecstasy bear both destructive power and the genesis of life. They pose a threat, capable of obliterating life’s most ambitious endeavours, yet without them, life would not exist on earth.
Their shared stages—rising tension, clouded thoughts, fear, violence, and release—cannot be mere coincidence. They likely hold a disturbing yet truthful revelation about our existence. It’s amidst the turbulence of thunderstorms that we feel truly alive.
The high-energy discharges of lightning led to the formation of organic compounds, and the synthesis of complex molecules. What pivotal role did these flashes of light play in the emergence of life within the primordial soup?
Could it have been beneath the illuminating brilliance of lightning that we first realised our own existence?
Similar to fleeting flashes discernible in AI-generated videos, could these lightning-induced moments spark the genesis of a more enduring and cohesive consciousness emerging from the chaos?