Psychosis, Dreams, and Surrealism

Art is controlled dreaming, and dreams are uncontrolled art. But the relationship between the two is more than the suspension of reality.

The answer lies in the presentation of psychosis. Hallucinations are almost always violent or threatening, they come from a deeper and more primal part of ourselves. Our mind's most primative emotions and themes are simple ones, power (death) and sex. Our bodies are wired heavily for this as well. I have lamented that more positive emotions are not as engrained, love for example. But they are too complex.

All of this helps to explain why surrealism has a darkness to it. It involves a controlled release of a deeper part of ourselves.