The Bird Dream
Christopher Woods
Artwork for ‘Birds‘ (Issue 26)
The Science
Do birds dream? Incredibly, the Max Planck Institute has an Avian Sleep Group. They have found that birds exhibit similar brain patterns to humans when sleeping. Activity in visual processing areas during sleep seemed to indicate the possibility of birds dreaming. Researchers also report seeing activity in the amygdala while birds sleep. This indicates emotional responses to what the bird is experiencing while asleep. Some domestic birds kept as pets often adopt some of our own traits, including accents and speech patterns, and even favorite words. https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/do-birds-dream-new-study-reveals-fascinating-insights/
https://cgjungny.org/animals-and-birds-their-archetypal-symbolism-and-transformational-presence/
The Medium
This photograph was taken with an iPhone 14, followed by a process of integrating filters and various colors, in the end creating something of a painterly effect. My intention was to create an image that exists just beyond our ordinary reality.
The Artist
Sravya Mamidanna paints frequently, and writes poetry occasionally, usually when a subject refuses to leave her alone. As a child, she cared for an injured parrot whose eventual release she has never quite finished thinking about. Her work is inspired by moments of awe, curiosity, and connection with the living world.
Copyright statement. This work is published under the CC BY-NC-SA license