Interpretations From /x/

I know usually /i/ is the place to be for interpretations, but on occasion, there are some artistic types floating about on /x/ (paranormal board) that will do requests.  I figured I'd save up a few before I post them.  I have tried to include the name they posted under if there was one.

Original Inkblot

By Anonymous

I am almost positive that the name the person posted
under was "083" and that the number is not just
some file name.  Almost positive.

By Pixelman

By lolcraft

Original Inkblot (Remember this?)

Pretty wild.  And signed.  (I wish more
people would do that!)

Another by Pixelman

By Cannibal

Also by Cannibal, I forget why there are
two, or which one came first.

Surprised?  I mean it is a paranormal discussion board.  If you are on there, then you most likely have some spooky thoughts bouncing around in your cranium, so it stands to reason that most of the interpretations are demon-esq or slightly alien/Slenderman-ish.

I always enjoy any interpretation, so if you drew these in your threads or whenever an inkblot popped up in your discussion, and I forgot to thank you for your time, I'm sorry, and thanks.  One thing before I go:  Who drew this, and what was it an interpretation to?

An Actual Article

Click To Enlarge
You need to read/skim it.

I'm positive that since Izzy was soliciting, he or she would not mind me posting that screenshot.  The images are either mine (submissions) or public domain (Hermann's cards). Here is the article that Izzy produced:

Rorschach Tests: Tainted Testing Tool or Ingenious Inkblot Interrogations?

The Rorschach Test has fallen victim to a lot of slating over the years. Numerous experts in the field of mental health have said the test has little or no validity. Although a report from 2003 admits it has some usefulness, it is not exactly praised either: “Though falling woefully short of the claims made by proponents, [the test] nevertheless possesses validity greater than chance.”
So the question is – is Rorschach a bunch of phoney baloney or does it really work?


Cold Reading

Part of the controversy surrounding the test is the idea that during a session the tester may actually be conducting a form of cold reading. Awareness of cold reading has grown over recent years, with a number of celebrity magicians and illusionists demonstrating their ability to use this technique to mimic the readings offered by psychics and mediums. An experienced cold reader can discover a significant amount of information by studying their subjects body language, speech characteristics, gender, age, religious beliefs, etc. By analysing  someone in this way, a cold reader can reflect back to the person details which give the impression that the reader has mind reading abilities, or that they are able to communicate with dead loved ones. However, these are also things which a skilled therapist would be able to pick up on easily in their clients.


You say Tomato…

Another criticism is that the therapists subjective judgement and interpretation of a patients responses makes the results unreliable. For example, when someone has seen the image of a bra in an inkblot, male psychologists have considered this response as a ‘sex’ response, whereas female psychologists would class it as a ‘clothing’ response. Such varying interpretations mean that patients seeing the same picture will be analysed differently depending on who is doing the testing. And this doesn’t even take into account the natural cultural differences in responses to images.


Yet despite the criticisms, the test is still widely considered an accurate method of evaluation by many. Among clinical psychologists involved in assessment services it is used 80% of the time. Its uses range from detecting personality disorders to evaluating patients that might need alcohol intervention programs. But with so many arguments against it – including its inability to diagnose a wide range of psychological disorders and the difficulty in producing a test ‘norm’ – what has the Rorschach actually got going for it?


Brain Biology

Research has found that one particular inkblot, card III of the 10 original images created by Hermann Rorschach in 1921, shows that people with larger amygdala’s give more unique responses. If you’re not familiar with your amygdala, it’s the part of the brain which processes and stores memories of emotional events. It’s both a useful and pesky piece of biological engineering, both helping us learn how to deal with situations and creating fear programming.  As researchers have found a higher frequency of unique responses from artistic types, this suggests that enlarged amygdala’s might be related to creativity. The test is also widely accepted as a valuable tool in assessing thought disorders in schizophrenics.


What’s in a word?

The test has also been useful in highlighting the variety of thinking patterns found from culture to culture. For example, Japanese participants will often see a ‘musical instrument’ in card VI, whereas other cultures will see an animal hide. Even when patients see a similar creature in the image, the word they choose to describe the creature is unique to their language. Scandinavian’s might see a ‘troll’ where the French will see an ‘ogre’. Whilst at first glance it might be tempting to think these words mean the same thing, each word carries its own connotations. On the one hand, this language difference could be used as an example of the tests vulnerability to interpretation, but it also serves as vital evidence of how the language we grow up using can determine how we process ideas. 


The Ironic Conclusion


Ironically the validity of the Rorschach test is in itself determined by interpretation. This isn’t rare in psychology. Many evaluation tests have both fans and critics alike, as do various types of therapies and theories. The definitions of mental illnesses themselves, and ideas about what creates mental wellness, differ depending on who you speak to. The answer to the question of whether Rorschach is a tainted testing tool or ingenious inkblot interrogation is much like the nature of the ink blobs  - it’s in the eye of the beholder. 

Total Redemption: Insert - The Process

I seem to have lost any descriptive file name, but I
think we can all agree that this is pretty crazy.

This person is crazy.  What's that, you say?  "How can I clean the inside of my windshield without leaving streaks or particles?"  By drawing out your thought process:

See?  Spotless.  Our one and only anonymous submitter for the contest gets the shaft.  I was rather hoping for three or more people to have a contest, and I stand by my stipulations presented earlier.

However, you (the Anonymous Submitter or 'AS') were kind enough to send in three entries.  What a perfect amount to achieve Redemption!  It's the least we can do for you.  I say "we," but I am not too sure who is still paying attention to things around here, but I must share your (AS) work.  And have people rate your sanity.

If you (the reader) are an old hand at dealing out Sanity Scores, then I apologize for the rigid voting system that takes away your precious decimals!  Feel free to comment on any/all of AS's submissions. Otherwise, just go to the voting widget on the right and compact your opinion in to one number.

Here are the other two:

Beetlelove with explosion or tidal wave?

Self-Portrait?  Doc Brown from Back To The Future
with his brains bursting forth?

I wish I had the text.  If there was any.  I am starting to doubt it now.

OK, so go and vote, and tell all your friends about Batman, so they will vote.  I guess I can safely say, as an honest-to-myself-blogger, that this post might be here for awhile.

My thanks to AS.  You are most certainly a good sport and I hope to still see a drawing or two from you over time!

Comments?

Not A New Revelation

A juggler whose routine was ruined by the
appearance of two bee-demons in love.

I can't draw.  But we knew this.  Thanks again for sharing the blots, Toby.

D.B. Revisited

Again, in total disregard of influencing your personal interpretation:
I see two winged demons about to share a kiss over a fat juggler.

You remember D.B.?  Here is a refresher:  This is a link.  It will take you to a page from this blog from June.

Wow, that wasn't that long ago and I have no recollection what I was trying to do there, video-wise.  I do remember thinking Toby (let's be nice) was a snarky little bastard, the kind of punk that I wish I could commit violence to just to demonstrate to the younger generations that they need to take random inkblot tests more seriously.

See that inkblot up there?  HE MADE THAT.  And get this:  HE DIDN'T MAKE IT FOR ME.  It was for some class or credit, I believe.  But he was nice enough to share, as he promised, and that one is my favorite.  Here are the other two:

Unfortunate cropping.  Blame Facebook.

This one...hurts...somehow.

Well, hell.  If he was nice enough to share, the least I could do is draw my interpretation (not right now, but tonight. Really!) on one. I'm not entirely sure why it took me over a year to realize this, but I shall make this offer to you: If you make an inkblot (put your initials on the corner somewhere. And don't snag one from Google images! I'm sort of familiar with like, 33% of them!) I will attempt to draw on it. Kind of the opposite of my goal here, but "tit for tat," as they say in Tittytatta.

So before I ask you what you see on Toby's Blots, let me just remind you of THE OFFICIAL ART CONTEST going on, and highlight that out of all the interpretations I have receiv...I DON'T HAVE ANY ENTRIES YET!  (*SOB*)

Are you a gamer?  Do you know gamers that are also good artists?  Can you share this link with people that might like to win an 12-Month Xbox Live gift card?

Alright.  Now, what do you see in Toby's Blots?  I'll share my interpretation tomorrow.

Official Art Contest Post

One of the many blots you will be seeing should you choose
to enter this Art Contest.

That's right, another contest!  This one is simple: It's an Art Contest.  Pick a blot.  Get creative and draw on it.  Email it to me.  Maybe win an awesome prize.  That's pretty much it.  I have to tell you right now, it's for USA residents only, because of the prize:

12 MONTH GOLD MEMBERSHIP XBOX LIVE
Yes, it's from some time ago.  (See Contest Tab)
Still valid!  $60 value!

This is why it I have restricted this particular contest to the country:

Click to Enlarge.  All this talk of redeeming...

As you can see, it's a tad convoluted and probably just best if we kept it in the purchase area to avoid any problems.  Next contest will be international, I swear!

I feel like I should elaborate some more, but I think "art contest" is a pretty simple concept.  We here at this blog enjoy creative and artistic interpretations (as seen in the Sensory Overloads on the sidebar) and you will be juddged, either via a panel (of esteemed...colleagues?) or through this blog by the reader's votes.  If I get a lot of submissions (fingers crossed) then I might post them as I receive them in a sort of King Of The Mountain type way.  It will probably be a combination of all three.

Remember, it's about art and creativity.  Now I need these bits in here:


1) XBox confimed to me that if the card was purchased in the USA, it might not work if redeemed outside the USA.  Sorry.  Just wanted you to see this again.


2) The submissions become mine.  I won't beat around the bush there.  If you send me a submission, you are essentially saying, "Here, this is yours, I am giving it to you to do as you please."

If it makes you feel any better, I will most likely just compile them (if I get enough entries) in to a calendar-style book to give away as a prize.

3) I reserve the right to disqualify any entry for whatever reason I see fit.  I can't imagine what would make me do that, but I am reserving that right.


4) I am the final say on the winner, just in case anything goes south.


5) You must use my blots.  Do not re-size them or flip them around.  You are only exempt from this if you draw on paper and scan the entry.  (We never get those, sadly.)


6) All entries must be received by December 31st, 2011, 11:59pm EST


EDIT: (DEC 14) You can put in more than one entry.  Just remember, it's about art, not bulk...


IMPORTANT!:  I also reserve the right to cancel the contest due to lack of participation!  I'm not saying I will, but if I only get two entries, and they are both General Failure-style "text & arrow" interpretations, then I ain't givin' out the card!  Art!  Art I say!

Remember, you can use any blot from the Collection.

Feel free to use any of the blots that I have made.  If you use one of the zillions of other blots out there, I will certainly show people, but I will not have it in the contest.  See the Collection for most of my blots.  Also, there will be more blots showing up throughout the month, if you are one of those slackers.

And I do pay out!  Ask any of the readers whose addresses I have because I sent them misspelled prizes.  Or visit this page.

All questions concerning the contest should be left in the comments.

If you know any artists, please direct them to this page!  We need to see some interpretations again here people, and the gift ain't too shabby either.  Once again, my apologies to my overseas interpreters...next time. Next time.

Oh, wow.  Maybe I should include where you should send your entries: st.inkblots@gmail.com.

Good luck!

You Stay On Your Side Of The Room

I finished going through all my old posts so that I could have a listing by date of all the Interpretations This Blog Has Received, not counting game shows, charity stuff, Sensory Overloads or Total Redemptions.  Goddamnit, why is "redemptions" considered a spelling error?  I am referring to more than one redemption.  Redemptions.

Uh, so yeah, the Interpretations page.  You will see the pattern as I swayed from strictly blog posts and images and started to get a little goofy with the video stuff.  Speaking of which, I need to fix that tab, with the way things are now...

The Way Things Are Now

As some of you know, I graduated from showing shoddy computer generated inkblots to friends to making my own inkblots to show to strangers.  It seems logical that somewhere in the next step there would be puppetry, right?

"Blot" is the official name of the dog administering inkblot tests.  Things kind of went a different direction with that, causing a bit of disruption for one of my most loved hobbies here, and I had to kick him and his little fox-friend out.  They now live here:  The Slapdash Society

That's not to say there won't be more videos involving inkblots, I just don't see that happening too soon.  Perhaps after the contest.  Yes!  Contests!  More details tomorrow, but it's basically an art contest with one of the prizes being that 12-month Xbox Live Game Card that no one seems to want when they win it.

So, thems the beans.  I know a lot of blogging involves reciprocal blog-reading, and for that I apologize.  To the people whose blogs I like to visit simply because I like what you have there:  I have some catching up to do.

Before And After

Broken blot transforms in to:

Dip trip, flip fantasia!

So, with a few amateur clicks in Photoshop, I made (unintentionally) an inkblot that looks, to me, like Jafar from Disney's Alladin staring in to a crystal ball that he is clutching.  Neato!  Or one of those Plague Doctors.

Sorry for my absence, I have been fooling around with another project, which I won't jinx by mentioning here at this time.

WTSP: It's All The Way Up

My apologies to Caio Vinicius (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Klw3_x7PHq0), I lifted his art test/project with ink blots to use for my "brainwashing video."

The pickings were slim this Sunday. I have to try to make/get time to do this when there are more random strangers on. As I get a little more accustomed to the applications I am using the "Uh...uh"s will stop.

rant: I understand that everyone expects shlongs galore on Omegle or Chatoroulette these days, but the fact that they think someone would go through THAT MUCH trouble just to flash his happysacks... Well, as one chatter (female, I think I should note) put it: "It's really quite primal. They want to stand out so females pay attention to them. I saw a guy that had an outfit for his cock and a make-shift marionette dancer rubbing on him." Hmm. Does that mean I have competition?

The penises I perpetrate are only in the minds of the person observing, but if there are masturbators putting on penis puppetry then I need to step up my game to keep people's attention.

All of those thoughts raise another question: If there is nothing but Johnny McCockrockers banging their collective penis heads to the beat of self-pleasure, then what are these sparingly few honest-I-just-want-some-random-chat chatters doing there? I have come to my own conclusion: my little Sunday forays on Omegle and Chatroulette have shown me that there are regular, non-pervy, interesting and intelligent people looking for something random in their spare time. Unfortunately they are the scattered casualties, like some horrible "cruise liner disaster metaphor" that I didn't really think out, clinging to floating debris in a sea of masturbators.

I really hope they hear me when I say, "I appreciate your time."

Sensory Overload: Part Ten

"It's a man giving birth while being held down by
various tiny animals, the large-eared anteater
 at the end is the doctor."
By 4.4, from this inkblot.

Here is another batch of interpretations from Oekaki.  The first inkblot is not mine, but the more the merrier.  There is some excellent work for it.  All of which is by Anonymous, unless noted in the captions, which is generally just the text associated with the image.  As you can see up there, 4.4 is floating around here and there, and Nadia doesn't exactly go by that name anymore, but I have my suspicions!

CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE

Posted Inkblot

Two monstrous skulls - pp

"Adult attack! Adult attack!"

"Some kind of red headed, horned gangster.
Lookit them gang signs."

"Hey you! Yes, you. Stop walking on two legs, you're rats,
not humans. And take off your trenchcoats,
they don't even fit you."

The next inkblot got a good round of interpretations.  I'm stuck with goat-head and his four arms protruding from his small rib cage.  Do not forget that you can Click To Enlarge.

Original Inkblot

"A masquerade party."

"Moon" - Black Eyes

ceremonialjawremoval.jpg

"An Asian man sucking his cheeks in."

"Ghost throwing up emotions."

This one was the inkblot leading the thread, and those tend to get the most interpretations:

Original Inkblot

"A zombie monkey does tricks."

"I don't even know what the fuck..."

"World wresting champion triumphing over villianous evil and corruption."

"Dual-pistol-wielding cybernetically enhanced cowboy
rides atop robot with arm-mounted hydraulic blades."

Robots

"Wind-up toy"

"A king of jesters."

"Headless skater with stupid anatomy and huge triceps."

And these two interesting and somewhat genitalia-conflicting interpretations serve to highlight the phrase, "It's all in your head."
Of course, we aren't exactly looking at that end in either of these, are we?

"Dat ass."

Original Inkblot

Weird Chandelier

Original Inkblot (It's ember, not brown, I swear!)

Original Inkblot

Original Inkblot

"About to lift a statue."

This *has* to be 4.4.  I recognize her aliens.

Hooker monster at her gynecologists',
having her monthly vaginal examination.
Gynecologists sits cross-legged with hands on his knees,
but it's hard to see from the back.

Many thanks to the people that shared their art and interpretations with us. Pretty fantastic stuff there. Any problems or questions or comments, feel free to email me at st.inkblots@gmail.com!