International Journal of Jungian Studies: The Matrix Meets The Da Vinci Code: Peer-Reviewed Study Reveals Mysterious Mathematical Pattern in Art Throughout History

CAMBRIDGE, England, April 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study reveals that a mysterious mathematical pattern - known as the Buddhabrot - appears embedded in art spanning from 3000BC to the present day. In a real-life echo of The Da Vinci Code, independent researcher Dr Harry Shirley traces this elusive pattern across time and culture, from Renaissance masterpieces to Ancient Egyptian artefacts and modern psychedelic art.

Though it may sound like science fiction, the paper recently published in International Journal of Jungian Studies is firmly rooted in the psychological theories of Carl Jung. Jung suggested that our reality is an illusion, and that mind and matter are connected through a hidden mathematical matrix, much like in the film franchise The Matrix. This paper may have uncovered that very matrix, helping to explain the Buddhabrot's uncanny emergence in art throughout world history. This casts new light on Tutankhamun's timeless treasure, the Mona Lisa's smile and surreal psychedelic art.

"You may be looking at the very mathematical matrix that makes thought - and even the cosmos - possible. This discovery unites mathematics, psychology and art in a way few could ever anticipate," explains Dr Harry Shirley.

But how could a mathematical pattern discovered in 1993 appear in art created thousands of years earlier?

The study suggests that the Buddhabrot might map human cognition, causing the pattern to emerge unconsciously through the artistic process. This helps explain why the fractal pattern is so widespread - and why it emerges with such striking regularity in psychedelic art.

"Leading researchers like Robin Carhart-Harris have already shown that altered states of consciousness are associated with fractal patterns in the brain. The Buddhabrot fractal also appears linked to altered states of consciousness, especially with its common occurrence in psychedelic art," remarks Dr Harry Shirley.

This discovery raises profound questions about the true nature of consciousness and reality and may influence fields such as psychology, art and neuroscience.

About the Author:
Dr Harry Shirley is a UK-based independent researcher with a PhD in chemistry and research experience at University of Oxford, who has a passion for Jungian psychology. He works in a consulting role with research institutions worldwide and has multiple scientific publications.

The peer-reviewed paper "The Buddhabrot and the Unus Mundus" is available in IJJS here. The preprint version is freely available here.

Contact:  
Dr Harry Shirley
447304096997
[email protected] 

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2671575/Mona_Lisa.jpg

SOURCE International Journal of Jungian Studies