Armed with all these questions, I began to search for these peculiar textures in each photo I took, continuously intensifying them, and gradually clarifying the images hidden behind the chaotic lines on top of the basic textures. The end results astonished me, for I discovered a fantastical yet incredibly real new world. This world contained men and women, monsters and deities, sorrow and joy. With a variety of vivid colors and strengthened lines, I brought the stories concealed within the chaotic textures to life on paper, transforming them into my works.

As a Chinese woman who grew up during an era of revolutionary ideology, I lack the understanding of Western philosophy, religion, and history that Western female artists possess. Hence, my works thus far have been interpretations of personal experiences and emotions, expressions of my own spiritual world. However, from my exploration of these mysterious textures, an entirely unfamiliar world has gradually entered my field of vision, and I truly do not know how I have managed to present these stories, as if by some otherworldly force. I have not only seen various joyful or tormented souls, but also encountered cultural and religious symbols unheard of, as well as figures and deities as if stepped out of myths and legends, all of which I know nothing about.

I am a person of simplicity, and my works are visual representations of this unadorned emotion. Therefore, my understanding of science, particularly natural science and psychology, is limited. When I discussed my findings and works with a friend, he recommended a video on the British philosopher Karl Popper's theory of three worlds and suggested that I look into Carl Jung's theory of the collective unconscious, which unintentionally gave me some inspiration. In short, Popper believed that the reality we exist in is composed of three entirely different worlds: 1. the physical world of reality; 2. the mental world of reality, and 3. the world of consciousness reality. These worlds influence each other, where the physical reality determines all objective existence in nature, the mental reality encompasses the totality of cognitive beings, and finally, the physical and mental realities give rise to a world of reality recognized by conscious entities, which is the reality we currently inhabit.

Based on this theory, beyond the reality we can sense, there lies a world beyond our cognitive reach—a world dominated by spirit and pure consciousness. Could this be the source of all my mysterious images?

I continue to search for my answers within various images, whether it's the clouds in the sky, the greenery in front of the house, or the marvelous sights captured by NASA on Mars. More stories come to life on paper through the lines I sketch. If these images can transcend the barriers of time and space, from the backyard of my home to the mountains of Europe, from Earth to Mars, and beyond to the wider universe, showing similar tapestries, it cannot be mere coincidence.

Carl Jung's theory of the collective unconscious finally provided me with a breakthrough in my search for answers. In Popper's framework, there exists a purely mental world from which all conscious beings originate and to which they return after the material carrier is destroyed. This is not entirely dissimilar to the Buddhist concept of reincarnation, but the difference lies in Jung's belief that consciousness (or what might simply be called the soul) has never left the mental reality. Our individual consciousness is merely a single point projection of the overall mental reality into the material world, akin to a droplet splashed from a lake that, after a brief sojourn, ultimately returns to the entirety of the lake.

If our individual souls are projections of the overall mental reality into this universe, then perhaps other things can also be projected into our physical reality, such as Jung's collective unconscious. If the collective unconscious is a mental conglomerate, it means it can transcend time, space, and all physical realities to directly transmit a basic unit of understanding—a form of emotion—that is comprehensible to the consciousness of the entire universe. Perhaps the various images that cause me so much anxiety are the projections of this emotion in my current reality?

For this reason, I reorganized my work and discovered some interesting clues within it.

Anxiety, confusion, pain, and love have always permeated all my works, but unlike my previous works, these emotions are not a product of my personal experiences. They are collective spiritual feedback that transcends race, language, history, and beliefs. If my earlier works were simple imprints left by raindrops upon the ground, then these vivid stories are like grand scrolls created by ocean waves washing over the sand. Each image expresses the cries of countless souls, each one projects the joys and sorrows of myriad lives, akin to a 'Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival' depicting all conscious beings in the universe.

Indeed, it is emotion—this most primal and purest form of spiritual expression—that has allowed my consciousness to resonate with the collective unconscious within the mental reality, and in turn, enabled me to see those spectacular stories originating from hidden dimensions within the most basic material world.

I have incessantly asked myself why I am seeing these images from hidden dimensions and what they compel me to do.

Emerging from months of insomnia and anxiety, ready to bask in the joy of completing my work under the warm afternoon sun of winter, a deluge of shocking news plunged me back into deep contemplation. War, slaughter, and hatred, the three ever-present swords of Damocles hanging over humanity, have once again torn through the veil of history, laying bare the bloodied realities of our time for all to see. As a woman artist who has experienced war, it all seems too cruel, as if a drowning person who has just reached the surface is dragged back into the abyss.

The world is crumbling.

I understand now; this is why the collective unconscious resonates with me, for the mental reality of the collective consciousness hopes that through my work, I can bring love to this crumbling world. It wants me to use art, a language understood by all consciousness, to reclaim an understanding of love. Only love can prevent human society from its inevitable demise, and only love can help humanity emerge from the spiritual mire of self, discarding the various prejudices created by culture, belief, and history, to ultimately move together towards the vast