Category Archives: Javascript

Untouchable Chaos – The closer, the weirder

I’ve been nurturing this idea for a while: How can I visually express the feeling that emerges from meditations on the essence of things? Specifically, on the essence of the ultimate freedom symbol—the Chaos Star. That feeling of weirdness, of “untouchability,” makes you realize that, in essence, everything is pure void. Emptiness. And that knowing something is changing something.

The “Untouchable Chaos – The closer, the weirder” experiment is a possible answer to that.
(Requires Google Chrome browser)

For now, it is a web experiment, but the ultimate goal is to create a real-world installation, as shown in the picture below, when the right opportunity arises. (Anyone interested in supporting it?)

The installation project

The “distance measurers” can use the affordable Bare Conductive paints and boards: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/863853574/touch-board-interactivity-everywhere
These would transmit user distance data to computers. With that data, a computer could provoke visual distortions on the “huge LED TV screen,” as well as manipulate the “colorful LED lights” and, most importantly, activate the low-pass sound filter into progressively deeper levels. Powerful low-frequency speakers would play those filtered sounds, creating an intense feeling of weirdness as the user approaches the screen—culminating in a sense of complete awkwardness when the lights reach full brightness. If you use good headphones, you can experience a bit of this in the web version.

Technology playground:

Beyond expressing certain thoughts, this experiment was a way to explore new web technologies.

The Chaos Star rendering heavily relies on the amazing PixiJS framework. It uses WebGL, enabling those crazy filters with impressive performance. I’ve been developing this experiment since PixiJS version 1.3, and the final version here, 2.0, is incredibly fast. My first approach was to draw the star and use it to mask some bitmaps, but anti-aliasing for WebGL graphics is poorly supported across browsers. After months (literally) of struggling with this, a simple idea emerged: draw the Chaos Star inversely, render its texture to get a smooth and beautiful bitmap, and layer it on top of everything. The visual effect is the same, but it eliminates the need for masking, ensures smooth anti-aliasing, and improves performance. A win all around.

I also refined my algorithms for drawing Chaos Stars, originally started with the Generator. These algorithms now produce less symmetrical shapes and varying arrow sizes.

The WebAudio API was another area of exploration. This technology introduces exciting new features in browsers, but each browser renders sound differently. For this reason, I chose to make it a “Google Chrome only” experience.

Another feature I implemented was a socket connection. Right-click to get the QR Code, scan it with your phone, and slide your fingers on your phone’s screen to replace the mouse distance measurement. This was my first experience with NodeJS and Socket.io. Really cool stuff.

Right click to get the QR Code, scan with your phone and slide your fingers

Leap Motion was one of my initial ideas for simple distance measurement, but it works only for short ranges, making it less suitable for this project. However, its easy JavaScript connectors make it fun to experiment with. If you have a Leap Motion, you can distort the star with it (see the GIF below). The Kinect was never a serious option because it’s overly complex for this purpose. Additionally, connecting it with JavaScript is cumbersome.

Leap Motion proof of concept

The didgeridoo sound was performed by Jimmie P Rodgers, recorded with a Zoom H2 at various mic gain levels. Permission to use it under CC0 was graciously granted by the artist.

See it live. Click here.

The Sigilizer

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Important Notice: I no longer maintain the native apps for Sigilizer. The only active version is the web-based application, available at https://caostar.com/sigilizer/.

I’ve just released a new magickal tool: the Sigilizer. Below is the explanation presented within the app:

Sigilization is a magickal technique that involves redesigning a desire, either mantric or pictorial, and charging it in a state of Gnosis so that the created symbol can access the almighty “Subconscious,” ultimately helping make that wish come true.

There are several ways to create a sigil, but the method used by the Sigilizer to create mantric sigils was popularized by Austin Osman Spare and consists of three simple steps:

1 – Declare an intent:

Ex: It is our will to create sigils.

Note: It is said that starting with “It is my/our will” is more effective.

2 – Eliminate all repeated letters, accents, and points:

It is our will to create sigils

This leaves us with:

I T S O U R W L C E A G

3 – Arrange the letters to form a pronounceable mantra:

Ex: OGITAL ERCUWS or TESAGO CURILW

This technique has proven effective and is popular among Chaos Magicians. However, the process can feel bureaucratic and tedious, while the most important part is the state of Gnosis and charging the sigil.

At this point, the Sigilizer comes in. The app automates the process of creating mantric sigils based on the intent you input. And not just one sigil, but several variations. The script always seeks to create the most pronounceable mantras by moving vowels to separate consonants.

Additionally, the Sigilizer is a collective project aimed at understanding what magicians are desiring. Each input intent is saved anonymously in a database (Only the web app saves inputs; the versions in the App Store and Google Play do not store any data.). The idea is to eventually compile a “Desiring Panel,” which will be showcased in art installations and related events.

Besides generating sigils, the app offers a simple meditation to help charge them. Input your desire, sigilize it, and click on “Can we offer a meditation to charge it?” to take a brief journey (Available only in the desktop version.). Below is the explanation about the meditation:

This meditation uses the Sigilizer to generate multiple sigils based on your desire. Each sigil is “spoken” by the app, while the letters forming the sigil are drawn in motion in the background. The idea is for you to sit in a meditative posture and empty your mind to “receive” impressions from the visualization. The full meditation lasts about 15 minutes, but you can watch the screen for as long as you need. Experience suggests that using strong doses of hashish can significantly enhance this meditation.

And a Tool for Guerrilla Magick – A Mobile Sigilizer

Since the primary goal of the Sigilizer is to eliminate the tedium and bureaucracy often found in magick, a mobile version was needed to allow sigil use in “runtime” situations. Simply open the Sigilizer on your phone, and bam! The mobile version of the tool will present itself, optimized for the device. You can generate sigils for anything at any time. “It is my will to receive my pizza, eventually,” anyone?

~~Even better, after opening it for the first time, your phone will save the app, so you can use it offline—even in the jungle!~~

The Sigilizer is now available on both the App Store and Google Play, much easier to use with full-screen mode support.

PS: The core engine of the app is hosted on GitHub (https://github.com/caostar/sigilizer) under the Do What The Fuck You Want To Public License (WTFPL).

The n-dimensional Chaos Sphere

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This idea came to me while I was developing the Chaos Sphere Trip. For some reason, the x, y, and z positions got misaligned, and this little beauty appeared on my screen. I was mesmerized for a while, just watching it, until I realized that I had finally understood a vision from an old friend.

A couple of years ago, a fellow frater came to one of our meetings, excited about a vision he had: a Chaos Sphere with several arrows. He said there were fourteen arrows, but then added, “That’s just how I see it—actually, it seems to have infinite arrows.” Inspired by the vision, he couldn’t stop talking about its meaning: “Freedom in all dimensions, beyond our simple three-dimensional comprehension.”

With these words in mind, I believe I am finally clarifying his vision. Back then, it felt like a bit too much to take in all at once. He didn’t have the ability to “transmit the vision” clearly, if you know what I mean. But it planted a seed in my mind—a seed that has now blossomed into the n-dimensional Chaos Sphere.

I’ve been meditating on this for a while now. Since its behavior is entirely shaped by randomness—a “code coincidence”—anything that emerges from it can be interpreted in an oracular way.

It may look chaotic at first, but, like chaos itself, sometimes it reveals its hidden order, making you feel as though some “will” is guiding it.

See for yourself (and then reload the page for a bit of randomness).

A Chaos Sphere trip

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I’ve finally managed to create an interactive visualization of what happens inside my mind during deep meditations. It’s a very pleasant Chaos Sphere trip. I start to see thousands of them, and it feels like every atom of reality is, in fact, a Chaos Sphere.

Now that I’ve developed this, I’m using it as a form of “reverse mind engineering.” Instead of meditating for hours to reach the mental state where I can see this, I can now simply watch it unfold on a large TV screen, which makes it much easier to access that state of mind. It’s incredibly interesting. For me, it’s like I’ve “stolen fire from heaven” because now I can just turn on my computer and see things that were once only visible in the realms of deep trance.

I’m using the Three.js framework to build the 3D environment. I’ve only just started studying it, but I’m really enjoying it so far. The fact that you don’t have to compile anything is a blessing—just save it, and it’s done. It all runs in the browser (for WebGL-enabled browsers, of course), with no plugins required.

After discovering the Magic Chaos Angle, I created a method for building Chaos Spheres: https://caostar.com/3d/js/custom/chaosphere.js
It’s still just a scratch, but with this, you can generate a Chaos Sphere inside Three.js as easily as this:

var newChaosSphere = createChaosSphere();

I’ll be updating the JS file above with improvements over time.

Click here to trip for yourself (and then reload the page for a bit of randomness).

The Chaos Star Generator

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Since I first became involved with Chaos Magick, the Chaos Star symbol has been firmly etched in my mind. It’s both beautiful and deeply meaningful—representing freedom beyond imagination. The eight directions symbolize infinite possibilities, “including before conceiving,” as A.O.S. would say.

After countless meditations and several profound epiphanies, I began seeing Chaos Stars everywhere. Remember the Greek concept that “everything is made of triangles”? Well, what if “everything is made of Chaos Stars”? Each particle, each unit of matter, could be a Chaos Star—an all-possible-including-possibility just waiting for perception to manifest one of its infinite possibilities in the “real world.” That’s how I’ve been diving deep into the concept. It’s been quite the adventure.

This connection deepened when I started exploring generative art. I’ve visualized the Chaos Star in countless forms. How could I possibly recreate them all on a computer screen? And more importantly: what *exactly* is a Chaos Star? Wikipedia defines it as “eight arrows in a radial pattern.” For me, this is a perfect definition, as it leaves the door wide open for infinite abstraction.

And so, the Chaos Star Generator was born. It’s a JavaScript web app where you can input parameters to explore the endless visual possibilities of “eight arrows in a radial pattern.” Of course, you can also seek random inspiration by clicking on the screen to generate one, or go further with an infinite sequence by clicking on “Inspire me randomly, please.” You can even save the Chaos Star or share it directly to your Facebook wall.

The process of building this app came with its share of technical challenges, which I’ll likely discuss in future posts, such as how to publish directly from the <canvas> element to your Facebook wall. While I’m using some open-source code from others, everything I’ve personally created is released under the WTFPL license, so feel free to “Do What The Fuck You Want To” with it.

Beyond being a beautiful creative tool, the Chaos Star Generator can also serve as a powerful magickal tool. Here’s a fun experiment:

1 – Upload a texture (using the left controls) with a sigil placed at the exact center of the image. Like this:
2 – Click on “Inspire me randomly, please.”
3 – Open the controls (top right) and adjust the “transitionTime” parameter to set your preferred speed.
4 – Enter into a state of gnosis and focus on the moving Chaos Star while keeping your sigil in view.
5 – Boom. You’ve just created a powerful ritual moment.

Code for Magick

Changing reality through programing